{
  "state": {
    "name": "Ohio",
    "abbreviation": "OH",
    "slug": "ohio"
  },
  "county": {
    "name": "Wayne",
    "slug": "wayne-oh",
    "url": "https://www.americanroyaltybuyers.com/mineral-rights/ohio/wayne-oh",
    "description": "American Royalty Buyers purchases mineral rights and royalties in Wayne County, Ohio. Located in the Utica Shale region, we provide expert valuations.",
    "overview": "Wayne County, Ohio — Wooster and the surrounding farm country — is among the most-drilled counties in the state: nearly 7,000 wells, with about 2,060 still active, almost entirely shallow vertical Clinton sandstone producers. Like its neighbors Medina and Stark, Wayne County's story is legacy production rather than new development. Owners here typically hold farm minerals with decades-old wells, small recurring royalty checks, and — increasingly — unsolicited offers in the mailbox. ARB buys Wayne County royalties and minerals, small interests included.",
    "geology": "The Silurian 'Clinton' sandstone accounts for the overwhelming majority of Wayne County's wells — shallow, tight, long-lived vertical producers, many drilled between the 1960s and 1980s, with both 'White Clinton' and 'Red Clinton' intervals represented. The county sits outside the Utica Shale's productive window, so the deep horizontal development transforming eastern Ohio does not reach here.",
    "activity": "New drilling is essentially dormant — zero horizontal spuds since 2023 and only scattered conventional activity. The live issues for Wayne County owners are stewardship of what exists: whether aging wells justify holding, how plugging affects leases, and what fair value looks like for a mature royalty stream on farmland. Because these interests are often too small for large buyers to bother with, sellers frequently see only lowball mail offers — an independent valuation is the antidote.",
    "keyFormations": [
      "Clinton sandstone (White & Red)",
      "Shallow legacy zones"
    ],
    "stats": [
      {
        "label": "Basin",
        "value": "Appalachian (Clinton legacy)"
      },
      {
        "label": "Wells Drilled / Active",
        "value": "6,900+ / ~2,060"
      },
      {
        "label": "Current Drilling",
        "value": "Dormant — legacy vertical stock"
      }
    ],
    "faqs": [
      {
        "q": "What are mineral rights worth in Wayne County, Ohio?",
        "a": "Value comes from existing Clinton sandstone production and clean title, not future drilling — no horizontal wells have been spudded in the county since 2023. Mature royalty streams price on their remaining life and current checks; unleased farm minerals carry modest option value. ARB provides a free, written valuation built from your actual wells and interest, with the reasoning shown."
      },
      {
        "q": "I got a mail offer for my Wayne County minerals — is it fair?",
        "a": "Treat mailed offers as opening bids, not appraisals. In legacy counties like Wayne, mass-mail buyers often price far below even conservative value because they count on owners not checking. Before signing anything, compare the offer against an independent, data-driven valuation — ARB's is free and carries no obligation."
      },
      {
        "q": "My Wayne County wells are 40+ years old — should I sell before they're plugged?",
        "a": "It is a legitimate consideration. Clinton wells decline slowly, but when a well is finally plugged its royalty stream ends — and a mature stream is worth more sold while producing than after. If checks are shrinking or your operator has been plugging offset wells, a current valuation quantifies exactly what holding versus selling looks like."
      }
    ]
  }
}