How many acres is required to make a unit in Ohio?

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And if no requirement can they force pool if not leased?

Horizontal or vertical  well?

Robert

 I think we are mostly dealing with Horizontal wells in this day and age in most every formation being explored not very many vertical wells being drilled anywhere in ohio pa or west virginiaif they are drilling verticals it be for core sampling  so I expect the question is to do with horizontal wells where there can be many landowners involved in a well....common sense....most verticals are drilled on one landowner or maybe 2 and I am sure anybody drilling them would have a lease being that it only takes 40 acres

Horizontal wells.

imho. 640  to 1280 ac.its whats in my contract..640 to start then about 2 years in they asked to change to 1280..still not drilled and hope they dont..lease up 4/16/16.. 

units varying in size and depend on set back and spraining rules.  Operators have been requesting and receiving waivers for the various rules.  Additionally, the target depth of the formation impacts the size of the unit.  In some units, with wells that are 750' apart, operators are essentially cramming a well in on 138 acre spacing.  However, with prices falling through the floor - I would expect to start seeing much larger units or less wells/unit acre as operators are going to try to HBP acreage as they wait out prices.  Most leases have maximum unit sizes built right into the lease.

spacing requirements per the Ohio regulations;

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501:9-1-04

permitting information can be found on the ONDR website (follow this link):

http://oilandgas.ohiodnr.gov/laws-regulations/oil-gas-law-summary

Thank you for the info, but I have see units as little as 158 acres and many more less than 640 area in Ohio. I understand your lease contract says 640 acres but what is required by the law to make both a drilling unit and a production unit in Ohio? For the Utica.
Can 158 acres be the drilling unit and the production unit as well in the Utica in Ohio?
Ty
Can 158 acres be the drilling unit and the production unit as well in the Utica in Ohio?

If they want it to be and your lease doesn't say differently they can do that 

Thanks

think so, depends on the length of the lateral,

spacing requirements per the Ohio regulations;

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501:9-1-04

Currently, most all utica wells would fall into the section covering wells deeper than 4,000 feet - this section requires 1,000' intra-well spacing. 

However, operators have submitted microsiemic research that demonstrates the effectiveness of their fracs - and have received waivers to as little as 500' (look at some of the Rice energy wells). 

So to calculate the spacing - you would have to have 500' to 750' between wells, and the regulated distance from the heel and toe of the lateral to the unit boundary (I believe that regulations had called for 500'' but the same microsiesmic studies show 300' is good) - so adding it all up 300+5000+300 = 5600' long, and about 1000' wide for a total of 5,600,000 sq ft/43,560 sq/acre =~ 129 acres.

Reality is that hardly any 5000' lateral are getting drilled now - most are 7500' or greater and intra-well spacing is probably going to settle in at 750' - but if you have a single well and have 500' set backs from the unit boundaries.  You would be able to put a well on ~187 acres.

Permitting rules from ONDR: http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501%3A9-1-02

(4) No permit shall be issued to drill, deepen, reopen, or plug back a well for the production of the oil or gas from pools from four thousand (4000) feet or deeper unless the proposed well is located:

(a) Upon a tract or drilling unit containing not less than forty (40) acres;

(b) Not less than one thousand (1000) feet from any well drilling to, producing from, or capable of producing from the same pool;

(c) Not less than five hundred (500) feet from any boundary of the subject tract or drilling unit.

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