Posts by WVSORO
457 posts found, showing 20 per page
Decision in E[Q]T Bluegrass vs. Blaney, Johnson and others
Document WVSORO January 23, 2017
Issues: Partition suits, Pooling
Document WVSORO January 23, 2017
Issues: Partition suits, Pooling
Eminent Domain Update
Pipeline Advice WVSORO December 16, 2016
In November 2016, The West Virginia Supreme Court has upheld the Monroe County Circuit Court judge saying Mountain Valley transmission pipeline conveying gas only out of State is not for a "public purpose" to West Virginians and so cannot use eminent domain (and cannot force access for surveying) More
Issues: Eminent domain, Pipelines
Pipeline Advice WVSORO December 16, 2016
In November 2016, The West Virginia Supreme Court has upheld the Monroe County Circuit Court judge saying Mountain Valley transmission pipeline conveying gas only out of State is not for a "public purpose" to West Virginians and so cannot use eminent domain (and cannot force access for surveying) More
Issues: Eminent domain, Pipelines
West Virginia Supreme Court cites WVSORO “amicus brief” regarding ownership of coalbed methane
Blog WVSORO December 16, 2016
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled in the Moss case in 2003 that leases and deeds that granted or reserved rights to “oil and gas” or “natural gas” did not automatically give or reserve rights to coalbed methane More
Issues: Coal bed methane
Blog WVSORO December 16, 2016
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled in the Moss case in 2003 that leases and deeds that granted or reserved rights to “oil and gas” or “natural gas” did not automatically give or reserve rights to coalbed methane More
Issues: Coal bed methane
Poulos15-0907Concurring Opinion by Justice Ketchum
Document WVSORO December 16, 2016
Justice Ketchum filed a “Concurring Opinion” but said he would prefer to overrule Moss to make title opinions more certain. More
Issues: Coal bed methane
Document WVSORO December 16, 2016
Justice Ketchum filed a “Concurring Opinion” but said he would prefer to overrule Moss to make title opinions more certain. More
Issues: Coal bed methane
Poulos 15-0907 Court Opinion
Document WVSORO December 16, 2016
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled in the Moss case in 2003 that leases and deeds that granted or reserved rights to “oil and gas” or “natural gas” did automatically not give or reserve rights to coalbed methane“ More
Issues: Coal bed methane
Document WVSORO December 16, 2016
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled in the Moss case in 2003 that leases and deeds that granted or reserved rights to “oil and gas” or “natural gas” did automatically not give or reserve rights to coalbed methane“ More
Issues: Coal bed methane
WVSORO 2017 Legislative Proposals
Blog WVSORO December 11, 2016
WVSORO will again be pushing for legislation to have the property rights of surface owners recognized, to increase their chances of owning some of the minerals under them, and to deal with orphaned wells and other environmental problems, etc. More
Issues: Fence-line monitoring, Horizontal wells, Land re-union, Legislation, Orphaned wells, Tax sales
Blog WVSORO December 11, 2016
WVSORO will again be pushing for legislation to have the property rights of surface owners recognized, to increase their chances of owning some of the minerals under them, and to deal with orphaned wells and other environmental problems, etc. More
Issues: Fence-line monitoring, Horizontal wells, Land re-union, Legislation, Orphaned wells, Tax sales
The West Virginia Legislature needs to implement the results of the 2011 Horizontal Well Act studies and require “fence-line monitoring”!
Document WVSORO December 9, 2016
When the Legislature passed the Horizontal Well Act in a special session in December 2011, about the only protection in the bill for surface owners was a requirement that the center of a well pad had to be 625 feet from a home. More
Issues: Fence-line monitoring, Horizontal wells, Legislation
Document WVSORO December 9, 2016
When the Legislature passed the Horizontal Well Act in a special session in December 2011, about the only protection in the bill for surface owners was a requirement that the center of a well pad had to be 625 feet from a home. More
Issues: Fence-line monitoring, Horizontal wells, Legislation
The West Virginia Land Reunion Song
Blog WVSORO December 9, 2016
In the early 1980's a surge of conventional well drilling occurred in West Virginia in reaction to first the Arab Oil Embargo and then the Iranian Hostage Crisis. The surge in drilling resulted in gross abuses of surface owners. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Blog WVSORO December 9, 2016
In the early 1980's a surge of conventional well drilling occurred in West Virginia in reaction to first the Arab Oil Embargo and then the Iranian Hostage Crisis. The surge in drilling resulted in gross abuses of surface owners. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Nuisance suits
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