Almost heaven before drilling
After drilling (click image for hi-res)
And even after they're done drilling - a different pad (click image for hi-res)
Noisy heaven? A compressor station (click image for hi-res)
Compressor station closeup (click image for hi-res)
Links of Interest
Go to New Resources and Advice
Scientists say lots of oil and gas wells are leaking a lot of methane in W.Va.
History of oil and gas well drilling, regulation, and abandoned well problems
Tour of gas wells & their problems in Kanawha State Forest
Award Winning Article Showing Looks and Sounds of Horizontal Drilling
CBSnews/ProPublica documentary on the winning surface use case, EQT vs. Crowder.
Current Issues and Events
Tell the House Rules Committee to Amend or Stop SB 686
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 10 2026
Urge members of the House Rules Committee to demand an amendment to SB 686 so home owners get the replacement cost of their destroyed homes or else prevent the bill from coming to the House floor. More
Issues: Leasing, Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Water
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 10 2026
Urge members of the House Rules Committee to demand an amendment to SB 686 so home owners get the replacement cost of their destroyed homes or else prevent the bill from coming to the House floor. More
Issues: Leasing, Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Water
Tell Your Delegate to Vote NO on Forced Subsidence
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 7 2026
SB 686 has nothing to do with miner safety, and it is not the same as oil and gas cotenancy law. It will just allow more people’s homes, water, fields, ponds to be damaged or destroyed by longwall coal mine subsidence without the consent/agreement of the surface owner, and without replacement value compensation. More
Issues: Leasing, Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Water
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 7 2026
SB 686 has nothing to do with miner safety, and it is not the same as oil and gas cotenancy law. It will just allow more people’s homes, water, fields, ponds to be damaged or destroyed by longwall coal mine subsidence without the consent/agreement of the surface owner, and without replacement value compensation. More
Issues: Leasing, Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Water
Take Action to Stop Forced Subsidence
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 2 2026
WV SORO dubbed SB 686 the “forced subsidence” bill. This coal co-tenancy bill benefits coal companies that cannot get all the people who share ownership of coal underlying a surface tract to agree to a longwall mining lease. Tell legislators to STOP SB 686, which allows surface subsidence without surface owner’s consent. More
Issues: Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Water
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 2 2026
WV SORO dubbed SB 686 the “forced subsidence” bill. This coal co-tenancy bill benefits coal companies that cannot get all the people who share ownership of coal underlying a surface tract to agree to a longwall mining lease. Tell legislators to STOP SB 686, which allows surface subsidence without surface owner’s consent. More
Issues: Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Water
The Governor’s plugging assurance deal with Diversified does not plug wells like they say it does.
Blog WVSORO Oct 27 2025
Diversified got big by buying wells from bigger operators who might have had the money to plug those wells, but Diversified will not have enough money to plug all those wells. This new scheme got good press for the Governor and Diversified. It somehow uses multi-layers of "insurance" companies unknown to us. And even assuming their unrealistic numbers, the scheme will not generate enough money to plug all or maybe even half of the wells Diversified will eventually need to plug. Does it take the plugging liability off Diversified's books so it can buy more wells in other states so it can milk them and not be able to plug them either? That is one of several concerns. More
Issues: DEP, Oil and Gas
Blog WVSORO Oct 27 2025
Diversified got big by buying wells from bigger operators who might have had the money to plug those wells, but Diversified will not have enough money to plug all those wells. This new scheme got good press for the Governor and Diversified. It somehow uses multi-layers of "insurance" companies unknown to us. And even assuming their unrealistic numbers, the scheme will not generate enough money to plug all or maybe even half of the wells Diversified will eventually need to plug. Does it take the plugging liability off Diversified's books so it can buy more wells in other states so it can milk them and not be able to plug them either? That is one of several concerns. More
Issues: DEP, Oil and Gas
West Virginia Supreme Court grants WVSORO’s motion to file an amicus brief in long wall mining surface subsidence compensation case.
Press Release WVSORO Aug 20 2025
The case on appeal is about when the clock starts -- if at all -- on surface owners' suits for subsidence compensation: Surface owners think there should be no statute of limitations, or if there is, there should be equitable tolling where surface owners do not know when the mining occurs or when the subsidence will be over. More
Press Release WVSORO Aug 20 2025
The case on appeal is about when the clock starts -- if at all -- on surface owners' suits for subsidence compensation: Surface owners think there should be no statute of limitations, or if there is, there should be equitable tolling where surface owners do not know when the mining occurs or when the subsidence will be over. More
New Resources and Advice
I’m Supposed to Be Getting Gas or Oil Royalties, But I’m Not! What Can I Do?
Advice, Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO Dec 19 2025
One newer and one older law passed by the Legislature help mineral owners (including those who also own the surface) get unpaid royalties. Particularly recently, as production from old conventional wells declines, we are seeing driller/operators not sending out the checks they should be. Here is what can be done. More
Issues: Leasing, Minerals-Royalties, Oil and Gas
Advice, Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO Dec 19 2025
One newer and one older law passed by the Legislature help mineral owners (including those who also own the surface) get unpaid royalties. Particularly recently, as production from old conventional wells declines, we are seeing driller/operators not sending out the checks they should be. Here is what can be done. More
Issues: Leasing, Minerals-Royalties, Oil and Gas
Surface Owners’ News – 2026 Annual Newsletter
Newsletter WVSORO Jan 22 2026
Read about how we’re holding regulators and drillers accountable, and fighting the latest crop of bad ideas proposed by the WV Legislature. While you're here, be sure to check out recent additions to the website, including our latest advice on leasing pore space for carbon sequestration. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, DEP, Horizontal wells, Injection wells, Land re-union, Land use, Leasing, Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Orphaned wells
Newsletter WVSORO Jan 22 2026
Read about how we’re holding regulators and drillers accountable, and fighting the latest crop of bad ideas proposed by the WV Legislature. While you're here, be sure to check out recent additions to the website, including our latest advice on leasing pore space for carbon sequestration. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, DEP, Horizontal wells, Injection wells, Land re-union, Land use, Leasing, Legislation, Minerals-Royalties, Orphaned wells
WVSORO’s Very Newest Gas Leasing (and Lease Amendment) Royalty Advice
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO Aug 18 2025
New leasing dynamics plus the passage of the "cotenancy and "forced pooling" laws have made some of our leasing advice on this website a little stale. Please go here for the newest advice and for links to more updated advice on leasing and on pooling and unitization and cotenancy. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO Aug 18 2025
New leasing dynamics plus the passage of the "cotenancy and "forced pooling" laws have made some of our leasing advice on this website a little stale. Please go here for the newest advice and for links to more updated advice on leasing and on pooling and unitization and cotenancy. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
Have you been threatened with forced pooling/unitization? Have your received papers giving you notice of a forced pooling/unitization hearing?
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO Jun 7 2022
This is WVSORO's advice to mineral owners (and assurance to surface owners) after passage of forced pooling/unitization legislation effective June, 2022. More
Issues: Pooling
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO Jun 7 2022
This is WVSORO's advice to mineral owners (and assurance to surface owners) after passage of forced pooling/unitization legislation effective June, 2022. More
Issues: Pooling
Should You Take Ownership of a Well to Keep Free Gas? If So, How?
Free Gas Advice WVSORO Oct 12 2024
WVSORO does not recommend having ownership of an old gas well transferred to the surface owner in order to keep free gas for a home. Owning a well means that when the well needs to be plugged, it is you who will be responsible if the State acts. More
Issues: Oil and Gas
Free Gas Advice WVSORO Oct 12 2024
WVSORO does not recommend having ownership of an old gas well transferred to the surface owner in order to keep free gas for a home. Owning a well means that when the well needs to be plugged, it is you who will be responsible if the State acts. More
Issues: Oil and Gas
Should surface owners sign pore space lease etc. papers? If so, how much money should you get?
Advice WVSORO Mar 7 2024
What should you do if someone knocks on your door and wants to lease the pore space in the formations under your surface land? More
Advice WVSORO Mar 7 2024
What should you do if someone knocks on your door and wants to lease the pore space in the formations under your surface land? More