Photo Provided ONEi 2025 Report Display Picture 3: The Ohio Natural Energy Institute releases its Essential Facts on Essential Ohio Energy report that states Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties are among the top 20 Ohio counties for oil and gas production.

Energy producers’ focus on a swath of eastern Ohio over 15 years has captured dollars, resources and opportunity, a natural gas and oil advocacy group reported.

Mahoning and Trumbull counties ranked in the Top 10 of natural gas production for 2023, the Ohio Natural Energy Institute writes in its report “The Essential Facts on Essential Ohio Energy” released last month.

That’s encouraging to U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“Our region has been blessed with an extraordinary opportunity — one that could define our future for generations,” Rulli said in an email Friday. “The oil and gas industry is a game-changer.”

Mahoning County wells produced 4,726,829 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) of natural gas to rank ninth statewide, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources numbers. Producing wells total 2,080 in the county.

Trumbull, listed at No. 10 statewide, collected 4,457,905 Mcf among its 2,012 active wells.

Ranked first and second respectively, Belmont and Jefferson counties snagged more than 50% of Ohio’s 2023 natural gas haul.

All this anchored a natural gas platform that spewed 2.2 trillion cubic feet overall and pooled approximately $6 billion worth of resources.

Those numbers, according to the report, ranked Ohio No. 7 nationwide in 2023 as it accounted for approximately 5% of production and reserves.

Among the report’s highlights for 2023:

* The state’s energy sector employed 167,224.

* The annual wage in Ohio for oil and gas work surpassed $90,000.

* Approximately $50 million in property taxes were collected among the natural gas producing counties. Totals from Trumbull and Belmont counties were not available.

* Taxes tied to oil and gas extraction accounted for almost $60 million.

Despite the production numbers, future demands must be considered, a state representative from Boardman said.

“We’re already beginning to see consumers starting to feel the squeeze because our demand projections are astronomical,” said Tex Fischer, a Republican who serves on the Ohio House Energy Committee.

“If we continue to see this demand outpacing supply, we’re going to be even more dependent on importing from other states, and those other states are also feeling similar squeezes to Ohio.”

Fischer referred to new industries coming into the state as an example.

“(Whether) those are data centers, AI, cryptomining or just traditional manufacturing and housing development, all of those things require energy. We’re going to be facing some real problems unless we do something,” he said.

Fischer said proposed state legislation is targeting energy issues. Ohio Senate Bill 2 focuses on power generation and the electrical grid. Ohio House Bill 15 addresses utility issues, such as property tax policy modifications and repeal of solar energy credit payments.

Along with natural gas output, the institute’s report addressed oil production.

Overall, the state witnessed a record-breaking 2023. ODNR numbers place production at nearly 30 million barrels.

Ranking first, Carroll County wells were responsible for 9.8 million barrels. Guernsey County production followed at 9.3 million.

Columbiana County claimed fourth at 1 million barrels. Mahoning County (94,750) and Trumbull County (56,350) were 14th and 21st, respectively.

“(In) our own backyard, we have the power to fuel economic growth and create high-paying jobs for years to come,” Rulli said.