Ohio Gas and Oil December 2020

December 2020

A Free Monthly Publication

OIL & NATURAL GAS DELIVERS RECORD ENERGY SECURITY

IN THIS ISSUE: WATER REUSE AND MANAGEMENT: A SPOTLIGHT ON APPALACHIA

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NEWS. BUSINESS. TECHNOLOGY. ALLIANCE Bill Albrecht 330.669.3782

CAMBRIDGE Heather Kritter 614.583.5793

OHIO’S GAS & OIL INDUSTRY RAVENNA Elie Stephan 330.996.3093

WOOSTER Aaron Bass 330.264.1125

CALL YOUR LOCAL OHIO GAS & OIL SALES REP. TODAY

Table of Contents DECEMBER 2020 G ROUP PUBLISHER Bill Albrecht

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Beth Bailey bbailey@daily-jeff.com

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A Look Ahead Gas & Oil Events

3

Oil & Natural Gas Delivers Record Energy Security for United States

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Example We can Follow - Guest Editorial

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OOGA Member Spotlight: A.J. Smith, P.E., Hull & Associates, LLC

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Water Reuse and Management: A Spotlight On Appalachia

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U.S. Refinery Runs Remain Lower than the Five-Year Range

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EIA Expects U.S. Crude Oil Production to Remain Relatively Flat through 2021

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Natural Gas Inventories End the Injection Season near the Record High

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Ohio Well Activity

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Horizontal Drilling Activity Graph

On The Cover: The staff of Ohio Gas & Oil would like to wish all of our readers and advertisers a very bright, happy and healthy holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

OCTOBER 2020

DECEMBER 2020 ADVER TISING Elie Stephan Akron & Kent, Ohio Offices estephan@localiq.com 330-996-3093 Bill Albrecht Alliance & Minerva, Ohio Offices balbrecht@localiq.com 330-669-3782 Aaron Bass Ashland, Ohio Office abass@localiq.com 419-281-0581 Heather Kritter Cambridge, Ohio Office hkritter@localiq.com 614-583-5793 Aaron Bass Wooster & Holmes County, Ohio Offices abass@localiq.com 330-264-1125

L AYOUT DESIG NER Phil Luks

pluks@recordpub.com

212 E. Liberty St. Wooster, OH 44691 330-264-1125 “Ohio Gas & Oil” is a monthly publication. © GANNETT Co. Inc. 2020

OhioGas&Oil

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A Look Ahead

Gas & Oil Events DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MANY EVENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELED OR POSTPONED. PLEASE CHECK WITH THE EVENT COORDINATOR(S) FOR NEW DATES AND TIMES.

DECEMBER 8, 2020

IPAA OIL & GAS ACCOUNTING

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Virtual via Microsoft Teams Registration: Allie Doremus adoremus@ipaa.org

DECEMBER 17, 2020 OOGA NETWORKING/ HOLIDAY RECEPTION ED

CA N C

ELL

Zanesville Country Club, Zanesville OH

JANUARY 21 , 2021

PRIVATE CAPITAL CONFERENCE ENERGY IN TRANSITION 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Virtual Registration: Allie Doremus adoremus@ipaa.org

JUNE 21-23, 2021

OOGA ANNUAL MEETING Location TBA

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OCTOBER 2020

OIL & NATURAL GAS DELIVERS

RECORD ENERGY SECURITY FOR UNITED STATES WILLIAM ALLISON | EnergyInDepth.com

The record low energy risk score in 2019, and the American consumers and businesses can count on the strongest energy security in a generation positive, steady fall in recent years, is testament thanks in no small part to oil and natural gas pro- to the innovation, leadership, and workforce in the duced right here at home, according to the Global U.S. oil and natural gas sector, as the report states: Record continued on page 4 Energy Institute’s annual Index of U.S. Energy Security Risk.

The index gave an energy security risk score of 70.1 in 2019 – a record low over the historical window since 1979 that GEI has reviewed. It’s also a testament to the tremendous progress the United States has made in energy security because of the shale revolution over the past decade after a record high energy risk score of 100.9 in 2011.

The GEI Index is made up of nine categories including “global fuels; fuel imports; energy expenditures; price and market volatility; energy use intensity; electric power sector; transportation sector; environmental; and basic science and energy research & development.”

OCTOBER 2020

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Record continued from page 3

“In the eight years since the U.S. risk score peaked in 2011, it has tumbled 30%, an unprecedented rate of decline. “…The importance of the U.S. shale revolution in driving these remarkable improvements cannot be overstated. The application of hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and advanced seismic imaging has unlocked a tremendous oil and gas resource, turning energy scarcity into abundance.”

These tremendous production numbers, and other innovative technologies, has helped the United States achieve an important energy security milestone it hadn’t attained in nearly 70 years and helps ensure the economy isn’t dependent on foreign energy sources: “The United States produced more total energy than it consumed in 2019, making us a net exporter of energy for the first time since 1952.

This resulted from a combination of a very large increase in domestic oil and gas production on top of steadily improving energy efficiency and conservation.”

The report notes that domestic oil and natural gas production increased by 11.3 percent and 10.6 percent respectively in 2019, and that reality is reflected in the chart below showing the nation’s rapidly decreasing dependence on imports of those fuels:

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The United States is also benefitting from innovation and technological growth in energy efficiency programs, many driven by industry, as the report states: “All metrics measuring energy use efficiency or intensity risks showed improvement in 2019, with five metrics showing their lowest (best) score in the record since 1970.”

Looking into the future, GEI forecasts that America’s energy security risk will continue to remain low as long as domestic energy production remains strong: “Based on EIA’s AEO 2020, we expect an average U.S. risk score of 69.3 from 2020 to 2040, ranging from 67.9 to 70.4. These are by far the lowest projected figures we have ever calculated using EIA’s annual forecast, the first time in 2010 (Figure 2). Continued high domestic energy output coupled with better energy efficiency and environmental performance are some of the factors contributing to this very positive forecast.”

The 2010s show the vital role that oil and natural gas play in supporting the American economy and strengthening energy security, and it’s clear this positive momentum can be maintained in the future through strong domestic output.

OCTOBER 2020

Example We Can Follow Guest Editorial GREG KOZERA | Shale Crescent USA With COVID-19 and the issues surrounding it, the 2020 high school soccer season was in question last summer. Coaches had a new set of rules dealing with COVID-19 to work under. Everyone’s temperature needed to be taken before practice including coaches. Players needed to wear a mask during warm-up and when on the bench.

They could remove their masks during drills and games. Coaches had to wear masks at all times. The balls had to all be sanitized following practice. After 25 years as a high school soccer coach, I considered calling it quits. Was coaching worth the risk with the virus and all the additional hassles?

Although a hassle, the protocols helped to protect everyone. We were out doors and could stay socially distant. The risk of spread was low. The WVSSAC decided we could finally start to practice on August

17th, two weeks later than usual. For our players and team to be successful this season, a mental toughness like nothing they had ever experienced would be required. I thought maybe I could help and decided to continue as assistant boys’ soccer coach. But it was the boys who set an example by their actions we can all learn from.

We were able play a scrimmage with Beckley HS. The following week our county went to orange. We could practice and do fitness but we couldn’t have games. Two weeks later our county went to level red and all practices ended. After 2 weeks the county moved back to orange and could practice again. The boys kept a great attitude and work ethic knowing they might never get to play a single game. Fortunately, our county moved to level gold and we were Example continued on page 6

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OCTOBER 2020

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Example continued from page 5

able to have a 6- game season to prepare for the playoffs.

This year has been anything but normal for our boys with lockdowns, remote learning and spring sports cancelled. They needed something normal in their lives. They needed the exercise, the opportunity to see their classmates and have some socialization soccer offered. When they were on the field it felt normal. They could forget the virus for 2 hours

“Focus on others first and give with a loving heart.” and just be kids again. They were grateful for the opportunity to be outside with their friends where they could visit face to face even though they had masks on and were socially distant. I’m not a psychologist but just being able to practice seemed to help their mental attitude.

During the pandemic, how many things did you begin to appreciate that you previously took for granted? I began to appreciate things like toilet paper, eating out in a restaurant, going to church or visiting friends and family. That appreciation started when I was injured last fall and confined to a hospital bed and later a wheelchair.

Our team appreciated how important it is to have an opponent to play. When we were under code orange no one could come to play us. We also appreciated how important it is to have officials. Our boys rarely complained about officiating. The officials also had to wear masks and deal with COVID restrictions.

Wins and losses became secondary to just being able to play. We still played to win but our entire team learned to put the wins and losses in perspective.

The boys developed mental toughness. They learned to control what they could, like their personal fitness and not allow the things they couldn’t control, like our county’s color code get them down.

They won their section and region championships earning a return to the State Tournament in Beckley.

We had not been to the State Championship Game since 2015 losing in the State Semifinals every year

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since. The seniors’ goal was to make it to the State Championship game and play for the championship.

In the semi-final we fell behind a strong Point Pleasant team 0-1. Our boys thought “here we go again”.

The seniors kept everyone focused on the dream and we came back to tie 1-1. After 20 minutes of overtime we moved to penalty kicks. Penalty kicks were part of every practice. Our goalkeepers practiced diving saves daily. The practice paid off when our goalkeeper made a fantastic diving save and our final shooter fired his shot into the back of the net for the win.

While our team celebrated, our captain went to the Point goalkeeper who was still sitting on the ground in dejection. The captain reached out his hand and congratulated him for a great game. Then helped him to his feet. It brought tears to my eyes. In this crazy year, our captain understood what was really important, people.

Our young men lost to an excellent Fairmont Senior team 2-3 the next day. It was a hard-fought game. Our backup goalkeeper unexpectedly needed to replace our starting goalkeeper for a few minutes and made a huge save. He knew to always be prepared. You never know when your opportunity will be come. Our players left everything on the field. It hurt to lose, strangely not like it usually does. We were happy to be playing. Some things you and your team may find helpful in these challenging times are; • • • •

Have a high dream Keep a positive attitude even in adversity Be grateful for what you have Prepare for opportunity (It may come disguised as a setback) • Don’t quit. In adversity refocus on the dream • Build a strong team • Remember what is really important, people.

Our team, especially the captains, embodied great life lessons hopefully encouraging others. They reminded me of another lesson I teach. Focus on others first and give with a loving heart. By focusing on the needs of my players and the team instead of my problems and fears, good things happened. Coaching and the practices also helped me as a diversion and relaxation. Our young men demonstrated the power of a dream. A thought for all of us to ponder. © 2020 Shale Crescent USA Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com is the Director of Marketing and Sales for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a Masters in Environmental Engineering who has over 40 years’ experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert and the author of four books and numerous published articles.

OCTOBER 2020

OOGA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: A.J. SMITH, P.E., HULL & ASSOCIATES, LLC BRAD MILLER | Membership Director, Ohio Oil & Gas Association Hull & Associates’ first office opened in 1980 in To- mitting and routing work; and assisted clients in the ledo. In the 40 years since, it has expanded to seven locating, permitting and design of water withdrawal, additional locations: Columbus, transport and storage systems in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Newark, St. support of drilling operations.

Clairsville, Pittsburgh and Austin.

Oil and gas development was the A.J. Smith has worked in the catalyst for opening the St. ClairsSt. Clairsville office since the day ville branch, however there was still it opened in 2013, currently servan emphasis on offering the firm’s ing as Senior Project Manager. He full range of services to all its maroversees projects involving the kets. “That has really helped in the design, construction inspection, past couple of years as oil and gas materials testing, water sourcing have slowed down,” Smith said. and environmental compliance of “We’ve still be able to work for muwell pad sites, as well as projects nicipalities and other clients in the related to hydraulics and hydroloarea.” gy, geotechnical engineering, sediLike the industry itself, staffing ment and erosion control, surveyat the office has experienced ebbs ing, GIS and landfill construction. and flows, currently standing at 15 Smith’s interest in science was employees at that location. While fostered at a young age, growing Hull works for all oil and gas secup in Harrison County helping his tors, the St. Clairsville office focusfather, who was a surveyor, during es primarily on upstream developA.J. Smith, P.E., summer breaks, “surveying, hiking ment, “so that work has obviously Hull & Associates, LLC through woods, holding the rod a slowed down along with everything lot.” else,” Smith said.

“I always had an interest in school in math and sciHowever, he said Hull has still been able to retain ence and always did well in those subjects,” he said. its primary clients and remain partners through the In high school, he explored different colleges and down times. Additionally, it has provided a great opcareer paths, but ultimately decided to attend Ohio portunity to look at internal processes to find ways Northern University to study civil engineering. to increase efficiency and train staff. “We work with After graduating from ONU, Smith moved to Co- our other offices and have been able to build up our lumbus, where he spent the next 11 years working for portfolio by doing some geotechnical engineering, a geotechnical engineering consulting firm. During working with townships to fix their road slips and that time, he also earned a Master’s degree in geo- other surveying work for commercial developers,” he technical engineering from The Ohio State Univer- said. sity and his professional engineer license.

Over the past seven years, Smith credits Hull’s In 2013, he joined Hull & Associates, a project de- diversification of services for its ability to weather velopment and engineering consulting firm that spe- both good times and bad, while many other engicializes in environment, energy and infrastructure neering companies in the area have come and gone. markets. Hull offers a wide array of engineering and “We were committed from the beginning to being environmental services spanning upstream, mid- here for the long term, being diverse and dedicated stream and downstream segments of the industry. to having it be a true office, rather than just a field According to its website, Hull has permitted and de- office,” he said. signed hundreds of drill pad sites in the Appalachian As the industry has experienced consolidation and Basin; conducted hundreds of miles of pipeline per- acquisitions over the past several years, Hull has OOGA continued on page 8

OCTOBER 2020

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OOGA continued from page 7

been able to offer assessment and audit services, as well as site-by-site inspections and documentations. Thanks to iPads, drones and other advanced technologies, Hull can quickly assess and catalogue assets, which they have done throughout the region.

Additionally, Hull is a leader in rapid spill response consulting and assistance throughout the Basin. “We can go in and help the operator assess the situation, delineate potential areas of impact,” Smith said.

“Working with local agencies, we can get the site cleaned up and operations can resume quickly and safely.”

Moving forward, Smith emphasized the importance of OOGA and the industry engaging with local communities and educating the general public about the importance of oil and gas development.

“It’s important to get the facts out,” he said. “That’s the only thing that’s really going to combat the anti’s and some of the information they’re trying to spread. Once you give people the facts to debunk some of the myths, I think most people can make smart decisions and see the real benefits of the industry in our area.”

The construction of a new ethane cracker plant in southeast Ohio, and its corresponding job-creation,

has been particularly a target of misinformation. In reality, “that is a great opportunity for some good technical jobs and spinoff industries such as manufacturing in the area for the plastics industry,” he said. Smith is the past president of the local Ohio Valley Oil & Gas Association (OVOGA) and has partnered with OOGA and OOGEEP in that role. “We’ve also been trying to focus on STEM and outreach to students to let them know what opportunities might be available in the future; that they don’t have to go to the big city or leave the area to find good-paying jobs. If you educate the youth, even if they don’t end up working in the industry, they will at least be informed citizens and advocates for the industry.”

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WATER REUSE AND MANAGEMENT: A Spotlight On Appalachia NICOLE JACOBS | EnergyInDepth.com

Water plays a significant role in the production, transportation, and end-use distribution of all energy resources. Whether it’s used to extract more hydrocarbons from shale rock via hydraulic fracturing or produced as a drilling byproduct – commonly referred to as “produced water” – operators rely upon a fresh water supply to safely and efficiently develop natural gas and oil.

Across the entire industry supply chain, operators are responsible for properly managing this produced water and are subject to strict state and federal regulatory oversight to ensure groundwater is protected and conserved. In Appalachia specifically, operators are also required by law to transparently disclose chemical use at each well site to the independent agency, FracFocus, in order to protect drinking water further.

In the summer of 2012, Pennsylvania joined Colorado, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Louisiana in requiring chemical disclosure to FracFocus, and a year later, Ohio and West Virginia signed similar legislation into law.

The importance of proper produced water management and disposal is underscored in a new study conducted by the American Chemical Society (ACS), “Utica Shale Play Oil and Gas Brines: Geochemistry and Factors Influencing Wastewater Management.”

In the report, the ACS emphasizes a need for of safe water recycling and disposal methods: “Care needs to be taken for the Utica Shale Play produced water management, similar to the Marcellus Shale, as the play continues to expand.”

Fortunately, that’s already being done. In addition to operating under and adhering to some of the toughest regulations in the nation, producers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have developed innovative approaches to minimize environmental impacts and integrate sustainable business practices.--Water Reuse & Recycling The natural gas and oil industry has always been at the forefront of modernized production techniques.

OCTOBER 2020

Consider, for instance, the discovery and embrace of combining horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies, which has made the United States the leading natural gas and oil producer in the world.

Innovative water recycling and reuse practices deliver environmental and economic benefits, as wells become more economical and reduce the amount of fresh water withdraws and truck use.

These practices have been up and coming among American natural gas and oil producers – and companies with a presence in Appalachia are of no exception. In fact, operators in the region have been recycling water for more than a decade, without being required to by regulation.

Range Resources, one of Pennsylvania’s leading natural gas producers, is a perfect example. The company pioneered large volume recycling in 2009 and was the first company to achieve 100 percent reuse of produced water. Today, Range uses almost 100 percent of flowback, produced, and containment water for its operations and also recycles other operators’ water in the region to reduce freshwater usage even more.

Last year, Range recycled more than 5 million barrels (bbl) of water from other operators in the area in addition to the 99.18 percent of its own more than 10.4 million bbl of water.

Source: Range Resources Water continued on page 10

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Water continued from page 9

Ascent Resources – Ohio’s top natural gas producer – uses temporary above-ground water lines to limit truck traffic. This practice alone, according to the company’s 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance report, reduces approximately 3,500 to 3,800 truckloads per well.

Moreover, Ascent has developed internal software which tracks produced water movement and usage in real-time. This data then helps to make logistical and technological improvements aimed at achieving its goal of reusing 100 percent of the company’s produced water.

Last year, Ascent reused about 68 percent of its produced water for routine drilling operations and, during the first quarter of 2020, achieved a company record of reusing 85 percent of produced water, according to the report.

In 2017, Southwestern Energy – a producer in all three Appalachian states – designed a water infrastructure program that sources water from the Ohio River to distribute fresh water to the company’s well pads. Southwestern’s system, according to the independent Groundwater Protection Council, “will have the potential to later be expanded to carry

get more from your land

wastewater away from the well pads for reuse.”

The company has also established a “Fresh Water Neutral” formula to conserve water use in its operating areas. In 2019, Southwestern recycled 99 percent of produced water in Northeastern Appalachia, according to its website, and about 52 percent in Southwest Appalachia.

Source: Southwestern Energy

Conclusion As the Appalachia Basin continues to be a leader in domestic energy production, water management will be key to maintaining safe and responsible operations. Whether by policy design or through industry-led water recycling and reuse initiatives, it’s clear that operators make it a priority to safely manage all aspects of water use.

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U.S. REFINERY RUNS

REMAIN LOWER THAN THE FIVE-YEAR RANGE KEVIN HACK | U.S. Energy Information Administration

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report

Since April, when responses to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reduced demand for refined products such as gasoline, distillate fuel, and jet fuel, gross inputs of crude oil and other raw materials to U.S. refineries (refinery runs) have been lower than the five-year range (2015–19). Although runs have increased compared with their April lows, the continued effects of the pandemic, in addition to seasonal factors, have resulted in continued lower refinery runs. As of October 30, U.S. refinery runs were 14.0 million barrels per day (b/d), or about 13% lower than the average for this time of year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Weekly Petroleum Status Report.

In April, substantial declines in U.S. domestic demand for petroleum fuels resulted in a significant reduction in U.S. refinery operations. Beginning in June, some refiners began increasing their refinery runs in response to gradual increases in demand, particularly for gasoline. By the week ending August 21, gross inputs to refineries reached 15.3 million b/d, the highest level since April.

U.S. refinery runs typically reach their annual high point in mid-to-late August. After that, some refiner-

OCTOBER 2020

ies undergo seasonal maintenance while gasoline demand begins to decrease, resulting in reduced runs. In 2020, refinery runs decreased from their mid-August high of 15.3 million b/d to nearly 14.0 million b/d by mid-September and generally remained near that level for the rest of September and throughout October.

The Gulf Coast is the largest refining region in the country and has been affected by a particularly active storm season this year. The Gulf Coast region is the source of most U.S. petroleum exports and is more likely to be affected by less global demand for petroleum fuels.

East Coast refiners have experienced the largest decline in runs from the five-year average in percentage terms. EIA attributes much of the change in East Coast refining to the closure of Philadelphia Energy Solutions in June 2019, the region’s largest refinery.

The Midwest is the only U.S. region where refinery runs have been higher than the previous five-year average since April. Refinery runs in the Midwest likely increased because of greater agriculture sector demand from this fall’s harvest.

More information on U.S. refining markets is available in EIA’s This Week in Petroleum.

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EIA EXPECTS

U.S. Crude Oil Production to Remain Relatively Flat Through 2021 MATT FRENCH, NASAR AMEEN, KIRBY LAWRENCE | U.S. Energy Information Administration

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), November 2020

In the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) November Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), EIA forecasts that U.S. crude oil production will remain near its current level through the end of 2021.

A record 12.9 million barrels per day (b/d) of crude oil was produced in the United States in November 2019 and was at 12.7 million b/d in March 2020, when the President declared a national emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak. Crude oil production then fell to 10.0 million b/d in May 2020, the lowest level since January 2018.

By August, the latest monthly data available in EIA’s series, production of crude oil had risen to 10.6 million b/d in the United States, and the U.S. benchmark price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil had increased from a monthly average of $17 per barrel (b) in April to $42/b in August. EIA forecasts that the WTI price will average $43/b in the first half of 2021, up from our forecast of $40/b during the second half of 2020.

The U.S. crude oil production forecast reflects EIA’s expectations that annual global petroleum demand will not recover to pre-pandemic levels (101.5 million b/d in 2019) through at least 2021. EIA forecasts that global consumption of petroleum will average 92.9

12 OhioGas&Oil

million b/d in 2020 and 98.8 million b/d in 2021.

The gradual recovery in global demand for petroleum contributes to EIA’s forecast of higher crude oil prices in 2021. EIA expects that the Brent crude oil price will increase from its 2020 average of $41/b to $47/b in 2021.

EIA’s crude oil price forecast depends on many factors, especially changes in global production of crude oil. As of early November, members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and partner countries (OPEC+) were considering plans to keep production at current levels, which could result in higher crude oil prices. OPEC+ had previously planned to ease production cuts in January 2021.

Other factors could result in lower-than-forecast prices, especially a slower recovery in global petroleum demand. As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, some parts of the United States are adding restrictions such as curfews and limitations on gatherings and some European countries are re-instituting lockdown measures.

EIA recently published a more detailed discussion of U.S. crude oil production in This Week in Petroleum.

OCTOBER 2020

NATURAL GAS INVENTORIES

End the Injection Season Near the Record High JOSE VILLAR | U.S. Energy Information Administration The amount of working natural gas in storage in the United States ended the natural gas injection, or refill, season (April 1–October 31) at 3,920 billion cubic feet (Bcf), according to interpolated data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on November 13. The amount of natural gas held in underground storage in the Lower 48 states is now near the record-high value, 4,047 Bcf, reached in mid-November 2016.

Working natural gas inventories were 2,006 Bcf on April 1, or 314 Bcf more than the average April 1 total in the previous five years. Higher inventory levels at the start of the injection season mean that storage operators can reach their end-of-season targets with smaller natural gas injections.

Net additions to working natural gas inventories totaled 1,914 Bcf during the injection season, about 2% less than the five-year average and 23% less than the near-record net injections of 2,571 Bcf reported during the 2019 injection season.

U.S. natural gas inventories climbed quickly in the spring and early summer. By the week of August 7, inventories exceeded the upper bound of the previous five-year range (the lowest to the highest levels) for that time of year. Since then, the pace of weekly injections has slowed because of slowing natural gas production throughout 2020 and relatively steady natural gas demand.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, SNatural Gas Monthly and Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report Note: Data for October 31, 2020, represent an interpolated value based on the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report.

OCTOBER 2020

OhioGas&Oil 13

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• With more than 9 decades of combined oil and gas experience, our attorneys have been involved in over 100 litigation and arbitration cases involving breach of lease, fraud, underpayment of royalties, invalidity of lease, dormant mineral and marketable title issues, and mineral reservation interpretation.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: William G. Williams | bwilliams@kwgd.com Dean A. Swift | dswift@kwgd.com Gregory W. Watts | gwatts@kwgd.com Matthew W. Onest | monest@kwgd.com Offices in Canton, Akron, Alliance, Massillon, New Philadelphia and Sugarcreek 4775 Munson St. NW | Canton, OH 44718 | 877.876.9958 | 330.497.0700 | legal@kwgd.com

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14 OhioGas&Oil

OUR CYLINDER DISASSEMBLY TABLE & HYDRAULIC TORQUE WRENCH

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OHIO WELL ACTIVITY by the numbers

UTICA SHALE

MARCELLUS SHALE 22 6 9 40

77

Wells Permitted Wells Drilling Wells Drilled Not Drilled Wells Producing Inactive Other Total Horizontal Permits

Data as of 11/07/20

489 90 122 2605

3306

Wells Permitted Wells Drilling Wells Drilled Not Drilled Wells Producing Inactive Plugged Total Horizontal Permits

Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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TOP COUNTIES WITH HORIZONTAL DRILLING ACTIVITY

BY NUMBER OF SITES

1. Belmont County........ 705 2. Harrison County....... 533 3. Carroll County......... 532 4. Monroe County........ 507 5. Jefferson County...... 300 6. Guernsey County...... 280.

7. Noble County.......... 230 8. Columbiana County...163 9. Mahoning County....... 29 10. Washington County... 21 11. Tuscarawas County.... 20 12. Portage County........ 15 Trumbull County........ 15 13. Stark County............ 12 14. Coshocton County....... 5 15. Muskingum County...... 4 16. Holmes County........... 3 17. Morgan County........... 2 Knox County.............. 2 18. Ashland County.......... 1 Astabula County......... 1 Geauga County.......... 1 Medina County........... 1 Wayne County............ 1

WELL SITES IN VARIOUS STAGES: PERMITTED DRILLING, DRILLED, COMPLETED, PRODUCING, PLUGGED, , D SI S SOURCE: OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AS OF 11/07/20 PLETED PRODUCING PLUGGED

D

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25

125

225

325

425

525

625

725

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OCTOBER 2020

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