Every year at the Ohio Oil and Gas Association’s Winter Meeting, the DeBrosse Memorial Report is always one of the most popular presentations.  The research gives audience members a snapshot of Ohio’s oil and gas industry and the potential growth in the coming years.  Presented by Peter MacKenzie, Vice President of Operations for OOGA, this year’s report showed a tremendous growth in oil and gas production, with production capacity doubling in both oil and natural gas.

In 2013, Ohio permitted a total of 1,000 wells, an 11 percent increase from the year before.  Of those 1,000 wells permitted, 580 were completed in 2013 – nearly 300 of which were Utica and Marcellus wells in Ohio.  Carroll County led the state in completed wells with 113 wells, while Harrison County came in second with 40 wells completed. Chesapeake Energy remains the lead operator in the state, developing 159 wells in 2013.

The report also found Ohio’s oil and natural gas production doubled in 2013, with an estimated 9.7 million barrels of oil and over 203 billion cubic feet of natural gas.  In 2012, Ohio produced close to 4.9 million barrels of oil and 83.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas. By the end of 2014, the report estimated that Ohio will be producing over 300 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year from wells in all formations.

The good news caught the attention of U.S. Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH), member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who hailed the good news in a press release.

“The Ohio Oil and Gas Association’s report not only reinforces the positive impacts of Utica shale development over the past year, but also the potential for future economic growth and job creation.”

This growth has also helped Ohio consumers, who now pay significantly less for their residential natural gas.  Last year, Ohioans paid $213.3 million less for their natural gas compared to the national average.

With over 580 wells completed in Ohio during 2013, the oil and gas industry drilled a total of four million feet in both vertical and horizontal wells, averaging 6,898 total depth per a well. This requires tens of millions of feet of steel casing, which has helped create a significant opportunity for Ohio’s tubular steel industry and other local manufacturers.

Ohio’s oil and gas industry is poised to continue its significant growth for many years to come, which is helping our steel manufacturers, local economies and residents alike. Here’s hoping next year’s report brings even better news.