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The WV Legislature: Looking Back On 2025, Looking Ahead To 2026
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
With your help, we made a difference in 2025. We will be back at the Legislature in 2026, ready to fight against the latest crop of bad ideas. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Land re-union, Leasing, Orphaned wells
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
With your help, we made a difference in 2025. We will be back at the Legislature in 2026, ready to fight against the latest crop of bad ideas. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Land re-union, Leasing, Orphaned wells
Updated Royalty Advice for Leasing and Lease Amendments
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
This information applies if the company is offering you a new lease for gas, oil, and/or liquids. It also applies if there is an old gas or oil lease on your land and the company wants you to sign an amendment to the lease. The guidance covers advice on royalty negotiations, warns against agreeing to lower royalties or signing under pressure, explains forced pooling and cotenancy, and cautions that the driller’s lawyers draft the lease language and often include provisions that are not in your best interest. More
Issues: Land use, Leasing, Minerals-Royalties, Well pads
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
This information applies if the company is offering you a new lease for gas, oil, and/or liquids. It also applies if there is an old gas or oil lease on your land and the company wants you to sign an amendment to the lease. The guidance covers advice on royalty negotiations, warns against agreeing to lower royalties or signing under pressure, explains forced pooling and cotenancy, and cautions that the driller’s lawyers draft the lease language and often include provisions that are not in your best interest. More
Issues: Land use, Leasing, Minerals-Royalties, Well pads
WV SORO and Allies Sue Over WV DEP Carbon Capture Oversight
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
WV SORO, along with three environmental organizations, has filed suit in the US District Court to challenge the EPA’s decision to grant primacy of permitting and oversight of injection wells. We should learn from history. If EPA’s decision to grant West Virginia primacy is allowed to stand, the critical oversight of these wells will be underfunded. More
Issues: DEP, Injection wells, Land use, Pore space
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
WV SORO, along with three environmental organizations, has filed suit in the US District Court to challenge the EPA’s decision to grant primacy of permitting and oversight of injection wells. We should learn from history. If EPA’s decision to grant West Virginia primacy is allowed to stand, the critical oversight of these wells will be underfunded. More
Issues: DEP, Injection wells, Land use, Pore space
Court Grants WV SORO Amicus Role in Mine Subsidence Case
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
The West Virginia Supreme Court has agreed to allow WV SORO to file a "friend of the court" amicus brief in the appeal of an Ohio County couple whose case was dismissed for waiting too long to file for compensation for harm to their land caused by longwall coal mining subsidence. The lawsuit relies on the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and the WV Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act, which provide compensation for subsidence harm and do not include a statute of limitations. Read more here. More
Issues: DEP, Land use
News WVSORO January 22, 2026
The West Virginia Supreme Court has agreed to allow WV SORO to file a "friend of the court" amicus brief in the appeal of an Ohio County couple whose case was dismissed for waiting too long to file for compensation for harm to their land caused by longwall coal mining subsidence. The lawsuit relies on the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and the WV Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act, which provide compensation for subsidence harm and do not include a statute of limitations. Read more here. More
Issues: DEP, Land use
Concerned Organizations Petition Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals To Challenge the Grant of Primacy to West Virginia For Permitting and Oversight of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Wells
News WVSORO May 12, 2025
The West Virginia Surface Owner’s Rights Organization, along with three environmental organizations, and represented by lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates, have petitioned the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging EPA’s decision to grant primacy of oversight of the drilling and closure of carbon dioxide injection wells... More
Issues: Injection wells
News WVSORO May 12, 2025
The West Virginia Surface Owner’s Rights Organization, along with three environmental organizations, and represented by lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates, have petitioned the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging EPA’s decision to grant primacy of oversight of the drilling and closure of carbon dioxide injection wells... More
Issues: Injection wells
GOOD NEWS, KINDA, ON THE DIVERSIFIED LAW SUIT TO GET IT (AND EQT) TO PLUG MORE WELLS.
News WVSORO January 17, 2025
Diversified has been buying up wells from EQT and others -- wells that we know, based on calculations from its public disclosures, Diversified will not end up having the money to eventually plug. Diversified is milking the last gas and oil out of the declining wells and selling it to pay to itself and stockholders (and sponsor WVU sports) instead of using or banking the money to plug more of its wells. The "kinda" good news is that the law suit has settled. The bad news is that it is not all we had hoped for. If you have a Diversified well that is on your property what does this settlement mean for you? You may get a notice or see one in the paper which will give you the option to opt out of the class. Should you do so? More
News WVSORO January 17, 2025
Diversified has been buying up wells from EQT and others -- wells that we know, based on calculations from its public disclosures, Diversified will not end up having the money to eventually plug. Diversified is milking the last gas and oil out of the declining wells and selling it to pay to itself and stockholders (and sponsor WVU sports) instead of using or banking the money to plug more of its wells. The "kinda" good news is that the law suit has settled. The bad news is that it is not all we had hoped for. If you have a Diversified well that is on your property what does this settlement mean for you? You may get a notice or see one in the paper which will give you the option to opt out of the class. Should you do so? More
Carbon dioxide storage hub seeks 80,000 acres across Western Pa., Ohio and West Virginia
News WVSORO March 8, 2024
Landmen are knocking on doors again in southwestern Pennsylvania,eastern Ohio and West Virginia. This time, it’s not to make deals for what’salready in the ground, but for the empty spaces that could hold the region’sindustrial waste — the carbon dioxide that comes out of smokestacks acrossthe tri-state region. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
News WVSORO March 8, 2024
Landmen are knocking on doors again in southwestern Pennsylvania,eastern Ohio and West Virginia. This time, it’s not to make deals for what’salready in the ground, but for the empty spaces that could hold the region’sindustrial waste — the carbon dioxide that comes out of smokestacks acrossthe tri-state region. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
Surface owners, royalty owners, environmental advocats urge Gov to put bill for more gas well inspectors on special session call
News WVSORO April 15, 2022
Issues: DEP, Oil and Gas
News WVSORO April 15, 2022
Dominion Post: Royalty owners, environmental advocates urge Gov. Justice to put bill for more gas well inspectors on special session call
Charleston Gazette: Environmental, royalty and surface owner advocates pressure Justice to add oil and gas inspector increase to special session
MoreIssues: DEP, Oil and Gas
WVSORO files comment on PSC investigation into gas supplies for residential field taps on transmission lines
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young August 5, 2019
Residences and businesses in cities receive natural gas from lines owned by distribution companies. Those distribution companies get their gas from transmission lines. The transmissions lines get their gas from gathering lines that are attached to the gas wells. Many rural residences and businesses in areas where gas wells are located also receive natural gas […] More
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young August 5, 2019
Residences and businesses in cities receive natural gas from lines owned by distribution companies. Those distribution companies get their gas from transmission lines. The transmissions lines get their gas from gathering lines that are attached to the gas wells. Many rural residences and businesses in areas where gas wells are located also receive natural gas […] More
Help us with suggestions for, and experiences with, surface use agreements.
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young August 4, 2019
With the Crowder case finally decided in favor of surface owners by the West Virginia Supreme Court, surface owners can now (with rare exceptions) refuse to allow their surface to be used for a well pad for horizontal wells. Let us know what you'd like to see in a Surface Owners Agreement. More
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young August 4, 2019
With the Crowder case finally decided in favor of surface owners by the West Virginia Supreme Court, surface owners can now (with rare exceptions) refuse to allow their surface to be used for a well pad for horizontal wells. Let us know what you'd like to see in a Surface Owners Agreement. More
CBS/ProPublica documentary records surface owners’ W.Va. Supreme Court victory!
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young July 14, 2019
“Powerless: The High Cost of Cheap Gas” the CBSN Originals & ProPublica documentary that follows Beth Crowder and David Wentz through the recent WV Supreme Court case and win against EQT premiered on CBSN on July 14, 2019. A report already appeared on the ProPublica website and the Charleston Gazette Mail on this case. A videographer […] More
Issues: Oil and Gas, Well pads
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young July 14, 2019
“Powerless: The High Cost of Cheap Gas” the CBSN Originals & ProPublica documentary that follows Beth Crowder and David Wentz through the recent WV Supreme Court case and win against EQT premiered on CBSN on July 14, 2019. A report already appeared on the ProPublica website and the Charleston Gazette Mail on this case. A videographer […] More
Issues: Oil and Gas, Well pads
West Virginia Supreme Court rules for surface owners and WVSORO on well pads
Document, News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young June 19, 2019
A highly anticipated and hugely important West Virginia Supreme Court decision agrees with surface owners and WVSORO! The Court ruled that a driller has no right to put a well pad on a surface owner if the well bore is going to go horizontally beyond the mineral tract under the surface owner and into neighboring mineral tracts. Virtually all horizontal well bores start in the mineral tract under the surface owner, but then also go into neighboring mineral tracts. So drillers now need the consent/agreement of the surface owner for virtually all wells pads for horizontal wells -- or the surface owner can just say "No". More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas, Well pads
Document, News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young June 19, 2019
A highly anticipated and hugely important West Virginia Supreme Court decision agrees with surface owners and WVSORO! The Court ruled that a driller has no right to put a well pad on a surface owner if the well bore is going to go horizontally beyond the mineral tract under the surface owner and into neighboring mineral tracts. Virtually all horizontal well bores start in the mineral tract under the surface owner, but then also go into neighboring mineral tracts. So drillers now need the consent/agreement of the surface owner for virtually all wells pads for horizontal wells -- or the surface owner can just say "No". More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas, Well pads
WV Surface Owners WIN BIG!
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young June 18, 2019
In a UNANIMOUS decision by the West Virginia Supreme Court on June 5 regarding Crowder & Wentz v. EQT Production, the court agreed that drillers and mineral owners have no right to use a surface owner’s land for well pads or roads etc. to develop minerals under neighboring mineral properties that do not underlie the surface owner’s land without the surface owner’s express permission. The Supreme court upheld the ruling previously made by Doddridge County Circuit Court, in a battle that we have been fighting for the past eight years. More
Issues: Fracking, Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas, Well pads
News, Updates and Alerts Kayla Young June 18, 2019
In a UNANIMOUS decision by the West Virginia Supreme Court on June 5 regarding Crowder & Wentz v. EQT Production, the court agreed that drillers and mineral owners have no right to use a surface owner’s land for well pads or roads etc. to develop minerals under neighboring mineral properties that do not underlie the surface owner’s land without the surface owner’s express permission. The Supreme court upheld the ruling previously made by Doddridge County Circuit Court, in a battle that we have been fighting for the past eight years. More
Issues: Fracking, Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas, Well pads
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
Pipeline News
News, Pipeline Advice WVSORO December 1, 2014
Click here for pipeline news More
Issues: Pipelines
News, Pipeline Advice WVSORO December 1, 2014
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Issues: Pipelines
CONSOL and Noble Energy plan pipeline projects
News WVSORO July 16, 2014
Upshur, Barbour counties to get 37-mile gas pipeline, additional dry gas wells More
Issues: Pipelines
News WVSORO July 16, 2014
Upshur, Barbour counties to get 37-mile gas pipeline, additional dry gas wells More
Issues: Pipelines
GreenHunter Resources Announces Multiple Pipeline Project in Pennsylvania and West Virginia
News WVSORO June 30, 2014
GreenHunter Resources Announces Multiple Pipeline Project in Pennsylvania and West Virginia More
Issues: Pipelines
News WVSORO June 30, 2014
GreenHunter Resources Announces Multiple Pipeline Project in Pennsylvania and West Virginia More
Issues: Pipelines
Proposed pipelines to be discussed at Pocahontas commission meeting
News WVSORO June 26, 2014
A proposed pipeline that would carry natural gas from the Appalachian Marcellus and Utica shale production regions through Pocahontas County and the Monongahela National Forest to markets in Virginia and North Carolina will be discussed during a July 1 Pocahontas County Commission meeting More
Issues: Pipelines
News WVSORO June 26, 2014
A proposed pipeline that would carry natural gas from the Appalachian Marcellus and Utica shale production regions through Pocahontas County and the Monongahela National Forest to markets in Virginia and North Carolina will be discussed during a July 1 Pocahontas County Commission meeting More
Issues: Pipelines
Bill would increase opportunities to rejoin split estates
News WVSORO February 7, 2012
In 1995, a man bought the rights to a mineral tract under about 80 acres of surface in Marshall County. The previous owner had failed to pay property taxes, and the buyer got a good deal: $45. Richard Sherman, owner of the surface since 1988, was unaware the minerals under him had become available. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
News WVSORO February 7, 2012
In 1995, a man bought the rights to a mineral tract under about 80 acres of surface in Marshall County. The previous owner had failed to pay property taxes, and the buyer got a good deal: $45. Richard Sherman, owner of the surface since 1988, was unaware the minerals under him had become available. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
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