Ohio’s oil and gas resources have caught the attention of drillers, investors and political leaders alike. Thanks to a process known as hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), and a move to horizontal drilling (as opposed to traditional vertical wells) oil and gas trapped deep under the surface can be extracted in sufficient volumes to make drilling in layers of shale deep below the ground economically feasible. Geologists estimate that the amount of natural gas trapped in the shale rock beneath Ohio could be enough to fuel the state for 21 years. Industry estimates place the size of the natural gas reserve at 20 trillion cubic feet. Similarly, the potential to recover oil from Ohio’s shale has drawn industry insiders to remark that the Utica shale may represent one of the biggest domestic oil finds in 40 years, with state estimates ranging as high as 5.5 billion barrels of oil.