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Oil and gas leases in Belmont County, Ohio
The Belmont County Recorder recorded 1,875 new oil and gas leases in the 12 months to October 21, 2026, after a peak of 5,699 in 2013. Leases are public: search them free on the Recorder's site by the lessor's or the company's name, or see them by township and company below.
Numbers as of October 22, 2026, from the county records loaded that day (Recorder documents through October 21, 2026). Office details checked on the offices' own sites on October 22, 2026.
How many leases are recorded each year?
| Year | New leases recorded |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 411 |
| 2007 | 278 |
| 2008 | 155 |
| 2009 | 187 |
| 2010 | 280 |
| 2011 | 2,918 |
| 2012 | 3,615 |
| 2013 | 5,699 |
| 2014 | 5,163 |
| 2015 | 2,187 |
| 2016 | 1,256 |
| 2017 | 4,093 |
| 2018 | 3,243 |
| 2019 | 1,719 |
| 2020 | 820 |
| 2021 | 972 |
| 2022 | 1,412 |
| 2023 | 1,872 |
| 2024 | 3,223 |
| 2025 | 1,995 |
| 2026 (through October 21) | 1,534 |
In the last 12 months the Recorder also indexed 493 lease notices, 125 ratifications, 87 assignments, 84 lease releases, 38 amendments. Those are counted separately from new leases.
Which townships have the most leases?
| Township | Since 2011 | Since 2022 | Last 12 months | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Township | 5,310 | 1,070 | 314 | Oct 2026 |
| Pultney Township | 5,231 | 2,269 | 302 | Oct 2026 |
| Pease Township | 4,223 | 1,271 | 135 | Oct 2026 |
| Colerain Township | 2,925 | 309 | 12 | Oct 2026 |
| Mead Township | 2,491 | 432 | 244 | Oct 2026 |
| Warren Township | 2,395 | 1,001 | 110 | Oct 2026 |
| Union Township | 2,141 | 584 | 94 | Sep 2026 |
| Goshen Township | 2,127 | 52 | 1 | Oct 2025 |
| Flushing Township | 2,026 | 1,001 | 73 | Oct 2026 |
| Wheeling Township | 1,999 | 481 | 30 | Sep 2026 |
| Somerset Township | 1,817 | 87 | 19 | Oct 2026 |
| Washington Township | 1,556 | 80 | 44 | Oct 2026 |
| Smith Township | 1,498 | 6 | 1 | Feb 2026 |
| Wayne Township | 1,463 | 382 | 19 | Sep 2026 |
| York Township | 1,252 | 154 | 90 | Sep 2026 |
| Kirkwood Township | 539 | 159 | 5 | Sep 2026 |
A lease covering land in two townships counts in each. 37,673 of the 41,721 leases recorded since 2011 name a survey section the index can be matched to; the rest are in the yearly counts but not in this table.
Which companies are taking leases?
The lessee named most often on new leases since 2011, as the Recorder indexed it (spellings vary, so one company can appear twice):
| Lessee | Since 2011 | Since 2022 | Last 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascent Resources Utica LLC | 10,744 | 5,963 | 1,010 |
| Rice Drilling D LLC | 5,712 | 39 | 1 |
| Gulfport Energy Corp | 5,036 | 0 | 0 |
| Gulfport Appalachia LLC | 4,322 | 2,763 | 567 |
| Antero Resources | 3,420 | 3 | 0 |
| XTO Energy Inc | 3,190 | 0 | 0 |
| Great River Energy LLC | 1,521 | 0 | 0 |
| Paloma Partners III LLC | 940 | 0 | 0 |
| American Energy Utica LLC | 870 | 0 | 0 |
| Chesapeake Exploration | 664 | 0 | 0 |
| Tri Star Energy Holdings | 548 | 0 | 0 |
| Blue Baron Energy LLC | 498 | 498 | 4 |
How do I look up a lease on my land?
Search the Recorder's online records system as a guest by your name, the name of whoever owned the land when it was leased, or the company's name, and narrow it to lease documents. Leases from 1974 on are searchable by name; leases from 1866 to 1974 are images found through the scanned lease index books (Historic Indexes). Extensions, assignments and releases are recorded as separate documents, so search for those too.
On Paper Trail, a property page lists the recorded documents matched to that parcel, leases included, with book and page.
Where is the Recorder?
Phone 740-699-2140
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; documents are recorded until 4:00 p.m.
Oil and gas lease tracker
Every lease, extension and assignment the Recorder has indexed in the survey sections you pick, by date, with both parties and the acres the index lists.
48,857 oil and gas leases tied to a survey section in Belmont County today, $363.04 for all of them. Pick the survey sections you want for a smaller list.
Questions
Are oil and gas leases public record in Ohio?
Yes. Leases are recorded with the county Recorder. In Belmont County they are searchable by name online from 1974, and as images back to 1866.
How many oil and gas leases are recorded in Belmont County?
1,875 new leases in the 12 months to October 21, 2026, and 41,721 since 2011, in Paper Trail's copy of the Recorder's index.
Which company has the most leases in Belmont County?
Ascent Resources Utica LLC is the lessee on the most new leases recorded since 2011, as the Recorder indexed it.
Can I see leases before 1974?
Yes, as images on the Recorder's site back to 1866. Find them through the scanned lease index books under Historic Indexes, then open the volume and page.