259 wells across 46 active operators, with 0 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months.
Refreshed monthly from ODNR well-header records. Data current as of 2026-08-12.
Quick answer: The Michigan Basin formation in Ohio has 259 wells on record across 46 active operators, with 0 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-12). Its most active operators by well count are Grahammichaelis, Pioneer Drilling Company, Northern Indiana Producer, Oge Energy and Belden And Blake Corp. Dba Ward Lake Energy. Compiled from Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Michigan Basin formation in Ohio:
| # | Operator | Wells in Michigan Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grahammichaelis | 74 |
| 2 | Pioneer Drilling Company | 56 |
| 3 | Northern Indiana Producer | 26 |
| 4 | Oge Energy | 12 |
| 5 | Belden And Blake CORP Dba Ward Lake Energy | 10 |
| 6 | Fitzgerald Energy Produc | 8 |
| 7 | Dusty Drilling | 6 |
| 8 | Fulton Energy | 5 |
| 9 | Frantz Enterprises | 5 |
| 10 | Aurora Energy | 4 |
The Ohio counties with the most Michigan Basin activity:
Henry, Lucas, Paulding, Defiance, Fulton
The Michigan Basin is one of Ohio's active oil and gas plays, with 259 wells on file across 46 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Michigan Basin in the last 24 months — a measure of how active the play is right now versus its historical baseline.
For mineral owners with interests in Henry, Lucas, Paulding, Defiance, Fulton, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Michigan Basin footprint is a foundational valuation question. Active formations with consistent permit flow command premium pricing; legacy formations with steady but declining production are valued differently.
See all Ohio oil & gas formations & plays · Download the Ohio formations dataset (CSV)
259 wells target the Michigan Basin in Ohio, worked by 46 active operators, per ODNR well-header records (as of 2026-08-12).
By well count, the most active Michigan Basin operators in Ohio are Grahammichaelis, Pioneer Drilling Company, Northern Indiana Producer, Oge Energy and Belden And Blake Corp. Dba Ward Lake Energy. The full ranking is in the table on this page.
Operators filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Michigan Basin in the last 24 months — a live measure of current activity, per ODNR records.
Operators filed 0 new drilling permits targeting the Michigan Basin in Ohio over the last 24 months. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Michigan Basin drilling, per ODNR records (as of 2026-08-12).
Michigan Basin activity in Ohio currently spans 259 wells on record and 46 active operators, led by Grahammichaelis, Pioneer Drilling Company, Northern Indiana Producer, Oge Energy and Belden And Blake Corp. Dba Ward Lake Energy, with 0 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months — refreshed monthly from Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) well-header records (as of 2026-08-12).
The most active Michigan Basin counties in Ohio are Henry, Lucas, Paulding, Defiance, Fulton.
Value depends on your net mineral acres or royalty decimal, the operator, the remaining drilling locations, and current oil and gas prices. Buckhead Energy checks your tract against current Michigan Basin well and permit data and puts a free, no-obligation written offer in writing — this page is informational only, not a valuation.
Cite this dataset
Permanently archived and citable via a DOI on Zenodo (CERN), under a CC BY 4.0 license. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21442884 · View on Zenodo
License & attribution: This data is licensed CC BY 4.0. You are free to share and adapt it, including commercially, provided you credit “Buckhead Energy” and link back to this page or the DOI above.
Get a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and the current Michigan Basin activity in your area.
Get Your Free Mineral ValuationOhio Oil & Gas Industry Snapshot Dashboard
Top Ohio Operators Leaderboard
Ohio Drilling Activity Report (permits, DUCs, spuds)
US Mineral Market Activity Index (all 11 states ranked 0–100)
US Mineral & Drilling Activity Index (national rollup)
Texas Industry Snapshot (largest producing state)
Largest US Operators — National Leaderboard
Browse the Full Operator Directory
Live Oil & Gas Prices (WTI + Henry Hub)
Formation: Michigan Basin
State: Ohio
Total wells: 259
Active operators: 46
Permits 24mo: 0
Last refresh: 2026-08-12