From Pittsburgh Business Times
The number of new wells drilled in Pennsylvania increased in 2017 over 2016 after falling the two prior years.
And a larger percentage of those wells are being drilled in southwestern Pennsylvania than in the past.
In 2017, there were 812 new wells drilled in the state, up from 504 in 2016, ending a two-year drop in new wells drilled.
Through 2016, 43.2 percent of wells were drilled in the 11-county area (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties).
In 2017, 63.3 percent of wells were drilled in the 11-county region. The number of new wells drilled in northwestern Pennsylvania is declining, and many counties in the central part of the state saw no new well activity last year.
This data presentation shows which counties have the most unconventional wells started in the shale gas plays in Pennsylvania and the share of total wells in the state that are in that county. It also looks at number of wells and share of wells drilled in the county since the beginning of 2017, the number and share of wells drilled in the county between 2013 and 2018, and the number and share of wells in that county drilled 2012 and earlier.
The difference between the share of wells drilled in the county pre-2013 and 2013-18 reveals the degree to which drilling activity has shifted, county-by-county.
Largest Shale Gas Drillers in the Pittsburgh region
| Rank | Business Name | Shale Gas Wells Drilled, Local |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EQT Corp. | 1,234 |
| 2 | Range Resources Corp. | 1,167 |
| 3 | Chevron Corp. | 386 |
Largest Shale Gas Drillers in Pennsylvania
| Rank | Business Name | Shale Gas Wells Drilled, State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EQT Corp. | 1,316 |
| 2 | Range Resources Corp. | 1,358 |
| 3 | Chesapeake Energy Corp. | 894 |
