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Ohio Oil & Gas Activity Snapshot

Twelve-month drilling permits, spuds and first production, the DUC-proxy backlog, permit-to-spud cycle times and Ohio counties ranked by activity momentum. Each figure is a count, percentile or index Buckhead Energy computes from grouped records; no individual well is listed.

Last computed: 2026-11-06

Quick answer: Over the last 12 months Ohio recorded at least 466 drilling permits, 7 spuds and 150 wells reaching first production, by Buckhead Energy’s count; 26 wells sit in the DUC proxy with a median of 437 days since spud. Monthly counts under 3 are withheld, so totals are floors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much drilling activity is there in Ohio?

In the last 12 complete months: at least 466 drilling permits, 7 spuds and 150 wells reaching first production. Each total adds published monthly counts, so it is a floor.

How many Ohio wells are drilled but not producing?

26 wells were spudded in the last three years with no first production reported yet. This DUC proxy includes dry holes, injection wells and reporting lag, so it is not a completion queue.

How long do Ohio wells take from permit to spud?

The median permit 6 to 36 months old reached spud in 17 days, and the median spud 12 to 36 months old reached first production in 185 days.

Permits, last 12 months
466
Spuds, last 12 months
7
First production, last 12 months
150
Wells in the DUC proxy
26
DUC-proxy median age
437 days
DUC backlog change
-81.7%
Median permit to spud
17 days
Median spud to first production
185 days

Ohio counties by activity momentum (top 10)

Ranked by momentum score: the change in drilling permits times the change in county oil and gas production, last 12 months against the 12 before. 100 means both held level. Counties without enough published data in both windows are not scored.

No county had enough published data in both windows to score.

Ohio cycle times (percentiles, days)

Permit to spud uses permits 6–36 months old; spud to first production uses spuds 12–36 months old. Percentiles resting on fewer than 5 wells show n<5.

StageWells25th pctMedian75th pct
Permit to spud26051741
Spud to first production401145185214

Top 10 Ohio operators by wells operated

Ranked by wells operated on record, not production or value. See the full leaderboard.

OperatorWells operatedTop formation
Ows Acquisition Co. LLC 5,615 Utica
Diversified Production LLC 4,704 Utica
Columbia Gas Transmission 2,763 Medina-Clinton-Tuscarora
Eco Power Crypto LLC 2,382 Utica
Oxford Oil 1,722 Utica
Kenoil 1,625 Utica
Northwood Energy 1,352 Utica
EOG Ohio, LLC 1,253 Utica
Ascent Resourcesmarcellus 1,194 Utica
Petrox 1,169 Utica

Top 10 Ohio counties by wells on record

Ranked by total wells on record in the county summary.

CountyWells on record
Washington17,773
Monroe12,563
Perry12,117
Morgan11,458
Muskingum10,665
Hancock9,791
Licking9,749
Medina8,757
Noble8,345
Coshocton8,247

Top 10 Ohio formations and plays by wells on record

Formation or playWells on recordOperators
Utica 109,020 7,817
Medina-Clinton-Tuscarora 10,158 866
Cincinnati Arch 1,862 372
Appalachian Basin - (Eastern Overthrust Area) 1,051 31
Appalachian Basin 803 156
Devonian (Ohio) 525 178
Michigan Basin 259 46
Marcellus 191 33
Berea-Murrysville 165 62
Antrim 69 13

How these figures are computed

Buckhead Energy computes every figure on this page from grouped records in public oil and gas data. The page shows counts, sums, percentiles and indexes only; it does not list individual wells, leases or permits.

Counts under 3 wells and percentiles under 5 wells are withheld; totals are floors.

12-month totals add only the monthly figures that were published, so they are floors, not exact counts.

DUC here is a proxy: a well spudded in the last three years with no first production reported yet. It includes dry holes, injection wells and reporting lag, and does not establish completion status.

Cycle-time cohorts: permit-to-spud uses permits 6–36 months old; spud-to-first-production uses spuds 12–36 months old.

Momentum = 100 × (permits, last 12 months ÷ prior 12 months) × (county oil-and-gas production, last 12 months ÷ prior 12 months). 100 means both held level.

Last computed: 2026-11-06. These figures are informational only and are not a valuation of any mineral or royalty interest.

Own Ohio Mineral Rights?

Statewide activity does not establish anything about a specific tract. Compare these figures with your own lease and statements when considering your mineral rights.

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