If you own minerals in Eastern Ohio, chances are you’ve heard the term “Clinton well” before. And if you haven’t, it’s worth understanding. These old wells are still shaping how and when landowners get paid today.
What is a Clinton Well?
The Clinton Sandstone is a shallow formation that was drilled extensively across Ohio. These were vertical wells, usually drilled a few thousand feet deep. Thousands of them were completed across the state, including in counties like Stark, Carroll, Tuscarawas, and Guernsey.
The wells themselves are small producers. In most cases, they generate just enough oil or gas to keep the lease alive, but not nearly enough to provide meaningful royalty income to the landowner.
How They Affect Today’s Mineral Owners
Even though these wells don’t produce much, they often still count as “producing wells” under the original lease terms. That means your lease may be considered “Held by Production” or “HBP” for short. Even if you haven’t seen a royalty check in years, your well can still be held by production.
An old Clinton well might only be making $50 a month in gas, but if it’s keeping your lease active, the operator doesn’t need to lease your minerals again and they’re under no pressure to drill a new well.
This becomes a big deal when it comes to the Utica Shale, which sits thousands of feet below the Clinton. Newer horizontal wells in the Utica can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalty income.
But if your land is still HBP by a Clinton well, you might not see any of that money until the operator chooses to drill again. And with that shallow production trickling in, there’s no guarantee of when, or even if, they’ll develop the deeper formation on your land.
You Still Have Options
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to sit and wait.
At Gateway Royalty, we work with landowners who are in this exact situation all the time. Because we’re long term investors, we look beyond an operator’s five-year drilling plan. We evaluate mineral rights even when they’re HBP, and we make fair offers based on what we believe the long-term value of your minerals could be.
We’ve already helped hundreds of landowners across Ohio unlock the value of their minerals, many of whom were sitting under decades-old leases with no new activity in sight.
Whether you’re thinking about selling or just want help understanding your lease, Gateway is here to help.
Let’s Talk
Not sure if your minerals are HBP? Want to know what your Clinton well means for your royalty potential?
Give us a call at (330) 205-5038 or fill out this form and we’ll get back to you
