# Ohio Oil & Gas Formations and Plays Directory

**TL;DR:** This directory catalogs all 10 active oil and gas formations in Ohio, ranked by well count and current drilling activity. The Utica formation dominates with 106,942 wells and 454 recent permits, followed by Medina-Clinton-Tuscarora and Cincinnati Arch plays. Each formation listing includes top operators, primary counties, lateral mileage, and 24-month permit trends—critical information for mineral owners evaluating their acreage.

## Key Takeaways

- **Utica formation accounts for 89% of Ohio's 120,418 total wells**, with over 5,285 miles of horizontal lateral drilled and 454 permits issued in the last 24 months.
- **Top Utica operators include OWS Acquisition (5,608 wells), Diversified Production (4,688 wells), and Eco Power Crypto (2,262 wells)**, concentrated in Washington, Monroe, Muskingum, Licking, and Coshocton counties.
- **Appalachian Basin formations (Marcellus, Eastern Overthrust) account for 1,911 combined wells**, with Ascent Resources-Marcellus and EOG Ohio leading development.
- **Legacy formations like Medina-Clinton-Tuscarora and Cincinnati Arch show minimal horizontal drilling** (21 and 3 lateral miles respectively) but remain active with vertical well programs.
- **Data refreshed monthly from Ohio Department of Natural Resources** well-header records as of July 5, 2026, providing current operator activity and permit trends.
- **Formation geology directly impacts mineral rights valuation**—stacked-play areas (Utica/Point Pleasant + Marcellus) carry materially different upside than single-bench mature plays.

## Page Highlights

**Utica Formation (Dominant Play):** The Utica shale represents nearly 90% of Ohio's well inventory with 106,942 wells, 7,766 active operators, and 454 recent permits. OWS Acquisition, Diversified Production, and Eco Power Crypto are the top three operators. Primary development occurs in Washington, Monroe, Muskingum, Licking, and Coshocton counties.

**Medina-Clinton-Tuscarora (Vertical Legacy Play):** The second-largest formation by well count (8,691 wells) but with minimal horizontal activity (21 lateral miles). Huffmanbowers, Kilbarger Investments, and Quaker State lead operations in Hocking, Perry, Fairfield, Vinton, and Ashland counties.

**Appalachian Basin Plays (Marcellus & Eastern Overthrust):** Two distinct Appalachian Basin categories combine for 1,720 wells and 2,391 lateral miles. Ascent Resources-Marcellus and EOG Ohio dominate both plays, focusing on Monroe, Belmont, Harrison, Morgan, and Noble counties.

**Cincinnati Arch, Devonian, and Michigan Basin:** Mid-tier formations with 1,856, 525, and 259 wells respectively. Cincinnati Arch shows modest recent activity (15 permits) while Michigan Basin reports zero new permits in 24 months.

**Data Methodology:** Statistics sourced from Ohio Department of Natural Resources well-header records, aggregated by primary play, interpreted formation, and basin. Only formations with 50+ wells are listed, excluding one-off wildcat plays.

**Quick Stats Summary:** Ohio hosts 10 active formations across 120,418 total wells with 7,749 lateral miles drilled. The state issued 1,041 permits in the past 24 months, with data current as of July 5, 2026.

## Dataset Variables

This page does not include JSON-LD structured data. Well statistics are presented in tabular format tracking: well count per formation, number of active operators, lateral miles drilled, 24-month permit count, top 10 operators by well count, and primary producing counties.

## Related Topics

- [Oklahoma Oil & Gas Industry Snapshot Dashboard](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/oklahoma)
- [Top Oklahoma Operators Leaderboard](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/operators-oklahoma)
- [Top Producing Wells in Oklahoma](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/top-wells-oklahoma)
- [Recent Drilling Permits in Oklahoma](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/permits-oklahoma)
- [Newly Producing Wells in Oklahoma (6 months)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/new-wells-oklahoma)
- [Oklahoma DUC Inventory (Drilled, Uncompleted)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/ducs-oklahoma)
- [Oklahoma County Drilling Activity Rankings](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/counties-oklahoma)
- [Oklahoma Formations & Plays Directory](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/formations-oklahoma)

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**About Buckhead Energy:** Buckhead Energy is a mineral rights acquisition company providing free written offers to mineral owners across every active formation in the United States. Data-driven valuations backed by current operator intelligence and monthly-refreshed regulatory filings.

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