Return of the Wildcatters – Utica Oil Drillers Grow Organically

Oil wildcatting is the process of drilling exploratory wells in areas with little to no history of oil and gas production. Wildcatting is a high-risk activity that involves drilling in unproven or fully depleted areas. Wildcat wells are often drilled far from other wells and without the use of well logs or other geological data….

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Infinity Natural Resources Picks Up Another 7 Banks for Utica IPO

MDN reported that in early October that Infinity Natural Resources (INR) filed an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hoping to raise $100 million (see M-U Driller Infinity Natural Resources Files for $100 Million IPO). Citigroup, Raymond James, and RBC Capital Markets were the original Big Bank underwriters. At the end of November,…

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Encino CEO Says Ohio Utica Oil Boundaries Likely to Expand

We’ve brought you the news (a number of times) of how Encino Energy was the first driller to figure out how to coax large quantities of oil from the Ohio Utica Shale (see Oil Prod. in Northern Utica Comes Alive – Encino Cracks Oil Code). According to Encino founder and CEO Hardy Murchison, the oil…

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Dec. STEO Predicts 40% Higher NatGas Price for Winter 2024/25

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) issued its latest monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook yesterday, the agency’s monthly best guess about where energy prices and production will go in the next 12 months. In October, the EIA predicted the average spot price for natural gas would be $3.10/MMBtu in 2025 (see Oct. STEO Predicts Lower Output,…

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Same Guy Who Drilled 1st Marcellus Well Helped Crack Utica Oil Code

Hart Energy has published a number of articles highlighting companies and key people in the Marcellus/Utica region. Hart has an ongoing series called Hart Energy’s Hall of Fame to honor industry pioneers and the Agents of Change (ACEs) who are leading the energy sector into the future. A recent Hall of Fame article highlights one…

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Enverus Report Says Utica Shale Oil is a “Middleweight Contender”

The research arm of Enverus (formerly Drillinginfo), one of the most trusted, energy-dedicated SaaS platforms offering real-time access to analytics, insights, and benchmark cost and revenue data, earlier this week published a new report on the Utica Shale. The report specifically discusses Utica oil—the production performance for Utica wells, and the economics of the play….

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Utica Shale Play Resurgence is Real – It’s Time to Get Excited!

Guy Coviello, President and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce, is jazzed about the resurging Utica Shale and says it’s time to get excited about it. In a recent column, Coviello said it’s time “to once again embrace our friends in the oil and gas industry, for our policymakers to invest in the…

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Oil Is Still Not Out Of The Woods – Uncertainty In Oil Market’s Recovery Fears The Traders 

The weak demand and mixed economic outlook have declined international oil prices this week. The current downward movement is attributed to the slow growth of China’s economy and the ongoing energy tensions and geopolitical issues in Europe and the Middle East.  Europe’s Brent crude oil, the U.S. WTI crude oil, and OPEC’s basket, all showed

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Extra Context re Philly Refinery Fire, Closure, and EPA Fine

Earlier this week, MDN told you about the final chapter in the tragedy of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) Refining Complex (see Sad Final Chapter to 2019 Philly Oil Refinery Fire: $4.2M Fine). Anti-fossil fuelers are dancing on the grave of the now defunct refinery, celebrating in the final humiliation of a $4.2 million fine…

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Another Peak Shale Oil Prediction – by Respected Investment Advisor

If we had a nickel for every peak oil prediction we’ve reported on over the years, we’d be rich! Every few months, somebody comes along to say that either oil production or oil demand is heading for a decline…real soon now, any day, it’s inevitable. And they list their reasons why we’re hitting peak and…

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Sad Final Chapter to 2019 Philly Oil Refinery Fire: $4.2M Fine

In June 2019, a series of explosions and a massive fire occurred at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) Refining Complex (see Massive Explosion, Fire at Philadelphia Refinery). It took firefighters a full day to extinguish the blaze. The fire caused the oil refinery complex to close and lay off over 1,000 workers (see Philly Refinery…

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The Story of Utica Oil Part 1: Encino Becomes Most Active Driller

We’ve written a number of times about the Ohio Utica Shale and its beginnings with gas legend Aubrey McClendon, who, as CEO of Chesapeake Energy, was one of (if not THE) first to recognize the Utica as an oil play. However, it was a successor company, Encino Energy, that figured out how to coax large…

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June STEO Predicts Marcellus/Utica Production to Fall 4% in 2024

Once a month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysts issue the agency’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), their best guess about where energy prices and production will go in the next 12 months. We sometimes poke good-natured fun at the EIA because their predictions go up in one month, and in the next month, they…

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