The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) recently published 2022 fourth quarter production totals that showed oil production reached nearly 5.9 million barrels this past quarter and is up 33 percent over the fourth quarter of 2021 and 16 percent over the third quarter of 2022. The state currently ranks 12th in the nation for oil production and is the top oil producer in the Appalachian Basin.
In total, Ohio produced 900,000 more barrels of oil compared to the third quarter of 2022, started approximately 23 new wells, and produced nearly two million barrels more than in the fourth quarter of 2021.
As Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management for ODNR Eric Vendel said when discussing the industry’s outlook at the recent Ohio Oil and Gas Association’s Annual Meeting:
“Permitting is up, drilling is up, and oil production is up. We’re on the upswing, which is a healthy sign for the industry.”
Natural gas production in the fourth quarter saw a slight decrease in production at 539 billion cubic feet compared to 576 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021. Despite this decline, Ohio remains one of the top producers of natural gas in the country, ranking sixth on the Energy Information Administration’s state rankings for 2021 and likely to hold a similar position when 2022 data become available.
This past quarter saw 3,033 producing wells out of a total of 3,116 horizontal shale wells that on average produced:
- 1,879 barrels of oil.
- 173,197 Mcf of natural gas.
- 85 days during the quarter.
| Q3 2022 | Q4 2021 | Q4 2022 | Percent Change Q3 – Q4 2022 | Percent Change 2021 – 2022 | |
| Barrels (Bbl) of Oil | 4,908,109 | 3,913,186 | 5,855,323 | 16% | 17% |
| Thousand Cubic Feet (Mcf) of Natural Gas | 548,326,581 | 576,496,677 | 539,681,875 | -2% | -2% |
Guernsey and Carroll counties were responsible for the top ten oil producing wells in the fourth quarter of 2022, with Ascent Resources and Encino Acquisition Partners (EAP Ohio) each having five of the top ten highest producing wells.
In total, Carroll County produced 2.4 million barrels, while Guernsey County produced almost two million barrels this quarter. Together, they produced more than 89 percent of all oil this past quarter, highlighting how important these two counties are to Ohio’s oil production.
| Company | County | Township | Oil Production (Bbl) |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Guernsey | Wills | 173,591 |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Guernsey | Wills | 129,613 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Carroll | Monroe | 127,688 |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Guernsey | Wills | 126,734 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Carroll | Harrison | 124,257 |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Guernsey | Richland | 116,398 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Carroll | Union | 107,503 |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Guernsey | Richland | 104,031 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Carroll | Monroe | 93,597 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Carroll | Monroe | 89,296 |
Similarly, Jefferson and Harrison counties continue to have the highest producing natural gas wells in the fourth quarter of 2022, with Ascent Resources Utica having four of Ohio’s top ten highest natural gas producing wells – EAP Ohio and Gulfport Appalachia each had three of the top ten producing wells.
| Company | County | Township | Natural Gas Production (Mcf) |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Jefferson | Wells | 3,850,259 |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Jefferson | Wells | 3,745,260 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Harrison | Wayne | 3,404,689 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Harrison | Wayne | 3,395,147 |
| EAP Ohio LLC | Harrison | German | 3,361,891 |
| Gulfport Appalachia LLC | Jefferson | Warren | 3,029,775 |
| Gulfport Appalachia LLC | Jefferson | Warren | 3,022,219 |
| Gulfport Appalachia LLC | Jefferson | Warren | 3,001,445 |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Jefferson | Wells | 2,951,717 |
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | Jefferson | Wells | 2,947,091 |
Bottom Line: This past quarter and year show significant growth in Ohio’s oil production while natural gas production continues to be pivotal. ODNR’s data only confirms that Ohio’s oil and natural gas industry will continue to aid the state, region and country in providing crucial energy security for now and years into the future.
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