5,596 wells across 467 active operators, with 9 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months.
Refreshed monthly from WVDEP OOG well-header records. Data current as of 2026-08-24.
Quick answer: The Utica formation in West Virginia has 5,596 wells on record across 467 active operators, with 9 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-24). Its most active operators by well count are Pin Oak Operating LLC, Antero Resources, EQT Production Company, Diversified Production LLC and Ritchie Petroleum. Compiled from West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Oil and Gas (WVDEP OOG) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Utica formation in West Virginia:
| # | Operator | Wells in Utica |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pin Oak Operating LLC | 395 |
| 2 | Antero Resources | 384 |
| 3 | Eqt Production Company | 236 |
| 4 | Diversified Production LLC | 225 |
| 5 | Ritchie Petroleum | 183 |
| 6 | Wv Mineral Group LLC | 182 |
| 7 | Creston Oil | 149 |
| 8 | Zickefoose R L And Wf | 122 |
| 9 | Greylock Opco | 121 |
| 10 | Jaybee Oil & Gas | 118 |
The West Virginia counties with the most Utica activity:
Ritchie, Pleasants, Wood, Tyler, Marshall
The most recent 3 drilling permits filed for Utica wells in West Virginia:
| Permit Date | Well | API | County | Operator | Lateral (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-24 | Jay Bee Oil & Gas INC. P5s3 | 4707302576 |
Pleasants | Jaybee Oil Gas | — |
| 2025-09-24 | Bb Land LLC P5n3 | 4707302586 |
Pleasants | Jaybee Oil Gas | — |
| 2025-08-01 | Bb Land LLC P5n3u | 4707302587 |
Pleasants | Jaybee Oil Gas | — |
The Utica is one of West Virginia's active oil and gas plays, with 5,596 wells on file across 467 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 9 drilling permits targeting the Utica 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 Ritchie, Pleasants, Wood, Tyler, Marshall, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Utica 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.
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5,596 wells target the Utica in West Virginia, worked by 467 active operators, per WVDEP OOG well-header records (as of 2026-08-24).
By well count, the most active Utica operators in West Virginia are Pin Oak Operating LLC, Antero Resources, EQT Production Company, Diversified Production LLC and Ritchie Petroleum. The full ranking is in the table on this page.
Operators filed 9 drilling permits targeting the Utica in the last 24 months — a live measure of current activity, per WVDEP OOG records.
Operators filed 9 new drilling permits targeting the Utica in West Virginia over the last 24 months. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Utica drilling, per WVDEP OOG records (as of 2026-08-24).
Utica activity in West Virginia currently spans 5,596 wells on record and 467 active operators, led by Pin Oak Operating LLC, Antero Resources, EQT Production Company, Diversified Production LLC and Ritchie Petroleum, with 9 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months — refreshed monthly from West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Oil and Gas (WVDEP OOG) well-header records (as of 2026-08-24).
The most active Utica counties in West Virginia are Ritchie, Pleasants, Wood, Tyler, Marshall.
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 Utica 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 Utica activity in your area.
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Formation: Utica
State: West Virginia
Total wells: 5,596
Active operators: 467
Permits 24mo: 9
Last refresh: 2026-08-24