In the Utica — direct buyer, no brokers, no fees
Belmont County, on the Ohio River in eastern Ohio, is the heart of the Utica Shale's dry-gas core — one of the most productive natural-gas counties in the Appalachian Basin. Roughly 3,200 wells have been drilled in the county and 118 horizontal wells have been spudded since 2023 alone, as operators continue developing the Point Pleasant interval under long laterals. For mineral owners that means active development, new units, and real buyer demand for Belmont County gas royalties.
Belmont County wells produce dry natural gas from the Point Pleasant formation — the organic-rich base of the Utica Shale play — at depths where reservoir pressure supports exceptional per-well recoveries. Laterals of two to three-plus miles are standard, and the dry-gas window means production is nearly pure methane: royalty checks track natural gas prices closely, with little oil or NGL component.
Gulfport Energy leads current drilling with 39 wells spudded in the trailing twelve months, followed by Ascent Resources (26) — with Expand Energy, EQT, Tiburon, and Grenadier also running Point Pleasant programs. Between them the county logged 27+27 new permits from Gulfport and Ascent in 2025 alone. Sustained multi-operator development keeps Belmont County among Appalachia's most active gas counties.
Gulfport Energy is the county's most active operator with 39 horizontal wells spudded in the trailing twelve months, followed by Ascent Resources with 26 — with Expand Energy, EQT, Tiburon, and Grenadier Energy also drilling. All target the Point Pleasant interval of the Utica Shale. The operator on your acreage depends on the unit covering your tract.
Belmont County sits in the Utica's dry-gas window, so royalty income is essentially a pure natural-gas stream — and gas prices are far more volatile than oil. A check can double or halve on price alone. Post-production deductions (gathering, processing, transportation) common in Appalachian leases amplify the swings. Selling converts that volatile stream into a fixed lump sum — one reason gas-royalty owners often explore a sale in strong price environments.
Often, yes. Utica units frequently hold additional undrilled laterals, and operators return to fill in acreage as gas demand and takeaway capacity grow. Buyers underwrite both the producing wells and that remaining inventory. A free valuation of your specific unit, operator, and decimal tells you what the whole package is worth today.
Based on state regulatory filings as of June 13, 2026, the operators with the most recent drilling permits in Belmont County include Ascent Resources (4 permits), Gulfport Energy (3 permits). If you receive royalty checks from any of these operators, that activity is a meaningful driver of what your Belmont County mineral or royalty interest is worth. American Royalty Buyers tracks this county-level permit activity and can provide a free, no-obligation valuation of your specific interest.
Selling Belmont County mineral rights to American Royalty Buyers takes four steps: (1) gather your most recent check stub, division order, or lease so you can describe your interest; (2) request a free valuation, in which ARB reviews your net mineral acres, the producing and permitted wells on your acreage in the Utica, and current commodity prices; (3) review the written, no-obligation offer, typically delivered within five business days; and (4) if you accept, ARB handles the title research, curative work, and deed preparation, then funds your lump-sum payment by wire — usually within four to six weeks. ARB is a direct buyer: no broker, and no fees or commissions at any point.
Belmont County produces from the Utica . Explore the full basin hub for more on geology, operators, and selling your minerals.
Belmont County: tracked operators filed 7 drilling permits over the trailing 90 days (as of June 13, 2026). Permit data (JSON) →
Companies among the most active permit filers in Belmont County (trailing 90 days, as of June 13, 2026). Receiving royalty checks from one of these? Get a free valuation.
Royalty checks in Belmont County come from the operators drilling there — often under subsidiary or legacy payor names. Here is who pays, and the names to look for on your check (as of June 13, 2026).
Royalty checks tied to Ascent Resources-operated wells in Belmont County commonly arrive under: Ascent Resources Utica, Ascent Resources.
Royalty checks tied to Gulfport Energy-operated wells in Belmont County commonly arrive under: Gulfport Energy, Gulfport Appalachia.
Full payor-name directory · Find your operator from your check stub
American Royalty Buyers also buys royalty and working interests beyond traditional mineral rights — directly, with no fees and a free, no-obligation offer: