Posts by WVSORO
449 posts found, showing 20 per page
Draft bill requiring money from forfeited bonds to fix the problem that lead to the forfeiture
Document WVSORO December 8, 2016
If a drillers' bond is forfeited by the State, the money should be used first to fix the problem on landowner's land that caused the bond to be forfeited. More
Issues: Legislation, Reclamation fund
Document WVSORO December 8, 2016
If a drillers' bond is forfeited by the State, the money should be used first to fix the problem on landowner's land that caused the bond to be forfeited. More
Issues: Legislation, Reclamation fund
Use the Funds from Oil and Gas Operator Bond Forfeitures First to Take Care of the Problem That Caused The Forfeiture
Document WVSORO December 7, 2016
There is an "Oil and Gas Reclamation Fund" that in theory is supposed to be used to plug the thousands and thousands of oil and gas wells that have been orphaned over the last century by oil and gas drillers who go out of business without plugging them. In reality, from 2010 to 2014 there was only enough money in the fund to plug just 6 orphaned wells! More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells, Reclamation fund
Document WVSORO December 7, 2016
There is an "Oil and Gas Reclamation Fund" that in theory is supposed to be used to plug the thousands and thousands of oil and gas wells that have been orphaned over the last century by oil and gas drillers who go out of business without plugging them. In reality, from 2010 to 2014 there was only enough money in the fund to plug just 6 orphaned wells! More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells, Reclamation fund
Let’s give surface owners the option to purchase any interest in the minerals under their land that is sold at a tax sale!
Document WVSORO December 3, 2016
Nearly everyone thinks that separation of ownership of the surface from ownership of the minerals was a bad idea. Surface owners get no royalty (or lease signing bonus if the minerals are not leased yet) yet have the burden of the well site being placed on them. They have no incentive to cooperate with the drilling of gas wells even though the burden of the well site and access road falls on them. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
Document WVSORO December 3, 2016
Nearly everyone thinks that separation of ownership of the surface from ownership of the minerals was a bad idea. Surface owners get no royalty (or lease signing bonus if the minerals are not leased yet) yet have the burden of the well site being placed on them. They have no incentive to cooperate with the drilling of gas wells even though the burden of the well site and access road falls on them. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
Use the funds from partition suits to plug orphaned oil and gas wells
Document WVSORO December 2, 2016
The purpose of this bill is to help solve the problem of orphaned, unplugged oil and gas wells. These often leaky wells exist because oil and gas well drillers that have gone out of business, and because the drillers' bonding requirement is not high enough for there to be enough money to plug the wells they left behind. More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells
Document WVSORO December 2, 2016
The purpose of this bill is to help solve the problem of orphaned, unplugged oil and gas wells. These often leaky wells exist because oil and gas well drillers that have gone out of business, and because the drillers' bonding requirement is not high enough for there to be enough money to plug the wells they left behind. More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells
What the opponents are saying – and the surface owners’ response
Document WVSORO November 23, 2016
Below we will respond to the legitimate concerns raised by earlier versions of our bill, and the amendments we made to this year's bill in order to solve the problems and help other interested parties where it is possible. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
Document WVSORO November 23, 2016
Below we will respond to the legitimate concerns raised by earlier versions of our bill, and the amendments we made to this year's bill in order to solve the problems and help other interested parties where it is possible. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
15-0919 Mountain Valley Pipeline Court Opinion, Justice Davis
Document WVSORO November 15, 2016
Issues: Eminent domain, Pipelines
Document WVSORO November 15, 2016
Issues: Eminent domain, Pipelines
Drillers can NOT pool a mineral owner’s lease without authorization!
Leasing / Amendment Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
UPDATE: WE WERE RIGHT! There is no "implied right to pool" in a lease.
If a driller tries to talk you into a lease amendment (some of our members also owns minerals) by saying this, you really need to educate yourself on this web page. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Leasing / Amendment Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
UPDATE: WE WERE RIGHT! There is no "implied right to pool" in a lease.
If a driller tries to talk you into a lease amendment (some of our members also owns minerals) by saying this, you really need to educate yourself on this web page. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Eleven reasons why a judge was wrong to imply a lease covenant to pool
Leasing / Amendment Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
Here Are the Eleven Reasons That The Tyler County Circuit Court Judge's Ruling Is Wrong, And Why No Other Circuit Court Judge nor the Supreme Court Should Agree With the Ruling. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Leasing / Amendment Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
Here Are the Eleven Reasons That The Tyler County Circuit Court Judge's Ruling Is Wrong, And Why No Other Circuit Court Judge nor the Supreme Court Should Agree With the Ruling. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Enacting local city or county ordinances
Enacting Local City or County Ordinances - Advice WVSORO August 14, 2016
Enactment of city or county ordinances or land use regulations is very tricky legally in order to make them stick. And each situation is different. More
Issues: Land use
Enacting Local City or County Ordinances - Advice WVSORO August 14, 2016
Enactment of city or county ordinances or land use regulations is very tricky legally in order to make them stick. And each situation is different. More
Issues: Land use
Dave McMahon: West Virgina must get it right with gas
Blog, News WVSORO July 8, 2016
I write in response to “Conservation makes for good business,” an op-ed column by a top official of Antero, a natural gas company, published May 28. More
Issues: DEP, Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas
Blog, News WVSORO July 8, 2016
I write in response to “Conservation makes for good business,” an op-ed column by a top official of Antero, a natural gas company, published May 28. More
Issues: DEP, Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas
What Land/Surface Owners Should Know When a Landman Shows Up And Wants an Easement/Right of Way To Put a Pipeline Across Your Land
Pipeline Advice WVSORO May 31, 2016
By 2013 we found out that Marcellus Shale pipelines are worth way MORE than that. If you are only being offered $1 per inch per foot, you are getting underpaid. More
Issues: Pipelines
Pipeline Advice WVSORO May 31, 2016
By 2013 we found out that Marcellus Shale pipelines are worth way MORE than that. If you are only being offered $1 per inch per foot, you are getting underpaid. More
Issues: Pipelines
They are drilling or going to drill a well on my land. I want to have it re-seeded with vegetation I want, not the fescue etc. that is in the State’s soil erosion and sediment control manual. What can I do?
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO April 28, 2016
If you want re-vegetation with seeds other than that at page 32 of the State's Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Field Manual, then work on your driller before,during or after the comment period to use seed mixtures you get from your local soil conservation district More
Issues: Land use, Legislation, Oil and Gas
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO April 28, 2016
If you want re-vegetation with seeds other than that at page 32 of the State's Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Field Manual, then work on your driller before,during or after the comment period to use seed mixtures you get from your local soil conservation district More
Issues: Land use, Legislation, Oil and Gas
If you own the coal you might be able to block or at least move a well site
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO March 15, 2016
This strategy will probably be used mostly by people who own the surface and the minerals, but whose land is subject to an old (or new) oil and gas lease signed by the current surface owners or their predecessors, and that lease allows the drilling of gas wells on the property. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO March 15, 2016
This strategy will probably be used mostly by people who own the surface and the minerals, but whose land is subject to an old (or new) oil and gas lease signed by the current surface owners or their predecessors, and that lease allows the drilling of gas wells on the property. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
Anti-Nuisance Suit Bill Dead; Solid Waste Bill Amended
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 12, 2016
Today is the last day of the 2016 legislative session and it is now safe to say that SB 508, the anti-nuisance suit bill, is officially dead. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 12, 2016
Today is the last day of the 2016 legislative session and it is now safe to say that SB 508, the anti-nuisance suit bill, is officially dead. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Fate of Anti-Nuisance Suit Bill Uncertain; Drilling Waste Bill Advances
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 6, 2016
Thanks to everyone who has responded to our calls for action -- your calls and emails to legislators can and do make a difference. As we head into the final week of the legislative session, we're relieved that several bills to benefit the oil and gas industry have died. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 6, 2016
Thanks to everyone who has responded to our calls for action -- your calls and emails to legislators can and do make a difference. As we head into the final week of the legislative session, we're relieved that several bills to benefit the oil and gas industry have died. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits