Belmont Officials Seek Oil/Gas Leases on County Property
20.05.12
Belmont County commissioners are following the trend of hundreds of private landowners in the county who have signed oil and gas leases on their properties.
The commissioners are seeking proposals from the many gas and oil companies operating in the county for "leasing the rights to extract oil, natural gas, and any and all constituents" from land owned by the county.
Over 400 acres of land in various sections of the county are owned by the county. At one time the county owned thousands of acres, including the entire acreage that is Ohio University Eastern and its surrounding campus as well as the acreage on which the Belmont County Correctional Center is located.
Much of the currently owned county property is located in the St. Clairsville-Barnesville area. In the Tacoma Park area on Ohio 147 east of Barnesville and behind the former Bob's Chevrolet Building, are about 167 acres; in the Ohio 331 area and behind the prison are approximately 67 acres, in the Hammond Road area are approximately 103 acres and in the Oak View area, 46 acres.
Source: Wheeling Intelligencer