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Utica Shale

Utica Shale News

Why $90 Oil Isn’t Bringing Back the Rigs

Why $90 Oil Isn’t Bringing Back the Rigs

Higher oil prices are not translating cleanly into a drilling response across U.S. shale, and company disclosures are starting to show why. The issue is not simply capital…

Q1 A&D Transactions Jump to $30B , While Deal Flow Was Down 40%

Q1 A&D Transactions Jump to $30B , While Deal Flow Was Down 40%

The first quarter of 2026 has officially defined the "Barbell Era" of American oil and gas. While the total number of deals plummeted by 46% YoY (dropping to…

Ascent Resources 2026: A Quiet Growth Story for Oilfield Services

Ascent Resources 2026: A Quiet Growth Story for Oilfield Services

Ascent Resources may not be making headlines with rig additions or dramatic well count increases, but a closer read of their March 2026 investor presentation — compared against…

A Quiet Capital Pattern Is Forming in North American Upstream — and Almost No One Is Talking About It

A Quiet Capital Pattern Is Forming in North American Upstream — and Almost No One Is Talking About It

A handful of recent transactions and capital raises point to a subtle pattern in North American upstream—one that is easy to miss because each event, on its own,…

Ascent is quietly setting the Utica productivity curve

Ascent is quietly setting the Utica productivity curve

For most of the last few years, the Utica story has been about discipline: fewer rigs, fewer headlines, and steady execution from a handful of operators who know…

Kimmeridge Offers $6 Billion for Ascent Resources: A Bid Lands in the Middle of a High-Stakes Sponsor Dispute

Kimmeridge Offers $6 Billion for Ascent Resources: A Bid Lands in the Middle of a High-Stakes Sponsor Dispute

What happened Kimmeridge Energy Management has submitted a $6 billion offer to buy Ascent Resources, the privately held U.S. natural gas producer that is controlled by private equity…

Dallas Fed Energy Survey: What Oil and Gas Executives Are Really Saying

Dallas Fed Energy Survey: What Oil and Gas Executives Are Really Saying

The latest Dallas Fed Energy Survey shows a U.S. oil and gas industry that is not collapsing—but is clearly constrained. Executives are operating in a defensive posture, focused…

Infinity and NOG Buy Antero's Ohio Utica Assets for $1.2B: A Vertical-Integration Utica Power Move

Infinity and NOG Buy Antero's Ohio Utica Assets for $1.2B: A Vertical-Integration Utica Power Move

Infinity Natural Resources (NYSE: INR) is making a statement in Appalachia. On December 5, 2025, Infinity announced it has signed agreements to acquire a package of upstream and…

Antero Deepens Core Inventory with HG Acquisition

Antero Deepens Core Inventory with HG Acquisition

Antero Resources (NYSE: AR) said it will acquire the upstream assets of HG Energy II, LLC for $2.8 billion in cash, plus the assumption of HG’s commodity hedge…

Infinity Natural and Northern Oil & Gas Acquire Antero's Ohio Utica for $1.2B

Premium content Infinity Natural and Northern Oil & Gas Acquire Antero's Ohio Utica for $1.2B

Infinity Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: INR) announced a $1.2 billion joint acquisition of Antero Resources Corporation and Antero Midstream Corporation's Ohio Utica Shale upstream and midstream assets in…

Utica Shale Top Operators (Undrilled Permits)

Company Last 12 Months
Ascent Resources LLC 37
EOG Resources, Inc. 28
Gulfport Energy Corp. 20
locked 19
locked 9
locked 3

Utica Shale Drilling Permits Trends (Last 24 Months)

Utica Shale Well Completion Trend

Utica Shale Map

Utica Shale Rig Data: August 14, 2026

Utica Shale Overview

What is the Utica Shale?

The Utica Shale play is one of the brightest stars in the developing U.S. resource play scene. 

The overall play is actually composed of at least three named geologic units: the Utica Shale, the Point Pleasant Formation, and the Collingwood Member of the Trenton Limestone. The Utica Shale covers much of the northern Appalachian basin, Cincinnati-Findlay Arches, and Michigan basin and has been productive in Quebec, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Ohio is the primary…

Utica Shale Mergers & Acquisitions

Utica Shale Transactions By Quarter ($MM)