Current Issues and Events

54 posts found, showing 20 per page

Comment on Well Plugging Priorities; Remember to Vote
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Nov 1 2024
The WV DEP will be taking comments on well plugging priorities as part of the Methane Emission Reduction Program. Details here on upcoming public meetings and how to weigh in. In the meantime, remember to vote and make your voice heard in the critical election season. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Methane, Orphaned wells, Pollution

WV SORO 2024 Legislative Summary; ALERT: Landmen Buying Pore Space Rights
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 19 2024
Below is a summary of WV SORO's actions on bills during the 2024 West Virginia Legislature's regular session, which ended March 9. During the session we also learned that there are land agents going door to door trying to get surface owners to sign away rights to the pore space in the rock formations under their land, and we need to educate surface owners about that. So this is intended to kill two birds with one stone. We will start with the alert since it is shorter. More
Issues: Leasing, Legislation, Pore space

WVSORO comments to Bureau of Land Management on new federal lands oil and gas leasing bonding rule that will guarantee future orphaned wells.
Blog WVSORO Oct 31 2023
WVSORO can find no examples of where bonding paid the full cost of plugging when a well owner goes out of business.  Instead the driller should stat setting aside money when the well first goes not line (when there is money).  And blanket/statewide bonding is sure to fail. More

A judge rules surface owners with unplugged, inactive wells on them can sue the driller to make them plug the well or sue for money to plug the well
Leasing / Amendment Advice WVSORO Apr 22 2023
Diversified and EQT say that surface owners can't sue about unplugged wells because the drillers have entered into well plugging consent orders with the DEP. Because the consent order of Diversified would only require the plugging of wells in 400 years and for other reasons the judge ruled that surface owners can sue. More
Issues: Oil and Gas

WVSORO comments on newest proposed EPA methane rule.
Blog WVSORO Feb 20 2023
EPA's proposed rule only requires inspections of well sites by "AVO" -- audio, visual, and olfactory means.  We are not making this up!  Methane has no smell, and can't be seen, and only big leaks make sounds!   Handheld methane detectors start at $31 to $100 dollars and should be used! More
Issues: EPA, Methane, Oil and Gas

WVSORO Points Out that Much More Funding Is Needed for Many More Inspectors
Blog WVSORO Feb 7 2023
See the latest under Newslinks for where we are February 4, 2023.  Right now the Legislation will only give us half the inspectors per wells that Pennsylvania and Ohio have. Contact your legislators and ask for more -- at least 45 -- at this web site. More
Issues: DEP, Oil and Gas

WVSORO comments to EPA about how Inflation Reduction Act money should be used.
Abandoned Well Advice WVSORO Jan 17 2023
Here is an op-ed written by WVSORO co-founder that appeared in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.  The op-ed mimics comments that were made to EPA about how the money should be used to find and reduce methane leaks on surface owners' land and not subsidize drillers who have wells they should already be plugging. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Orphaned wells

If you find out there is a proposal to plug an oil or gas well on your land, what should you do?
Abandoned Well Advice, Advice WVSORO Jul 19 2022
A big increase in well plugging is starting to happen. To know how you should react go to our web page, and do so right away! More
Issues: Abandoned wells

Surface owners, royalty owners, environmental advocats urge Gov to put bill for more gas well inspectors on special session call
News WVSORO Apr 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

More
Issues: DEP, Oil and Gas

Comments submitted on Department of the Interior guidance for first $25 Million to plug orphaned wells
Blog WVSORO Apr 1 2022
WVSORO commented on the Department of the Interior's draft guidance for the first $25 Million coming to West Virginia to plug orphaned wells pursuant to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.  More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Orphaned wells

SB 694 passed by the 2022 Legislature authorizing forced unitization of mineral tracts is OK because it is good for surface owners, and OK for mineral owners
Blog, Leasing / Amendment Advice WVSORO Mar 14 2022
Forced unitization bills, often termed "forced pooling" bills, have been very controversial for years.  WVSORO has always said a good forced pooling bill would be a good thing because it lessens the number of wells and well pads needed to produce natural gas for whatever market there is for natural gas.  It is just that in prior years we have never seen a good bill, just one that favors industry over surface owners and those of our members who also own some minerals.  This year's bill, SB 694, is not quite a "good" bill, but because of all the good surface protections it contains, and because it is OK to most mineral owners, and because the industry dominates the Legislature and could do so even more after the next election, WVSORO thinks this bill is OK and told the Legislature so.  More
Issues: Pooling

Lack of Inspections Leads to Leaking Gas Wells
Press Release WVSORO Feb 7 2022
A 2018 study by Princeton and McGill Universities has come to light showing that 53% of active, conventional, vertical gas wells were leaking an average of 9 cubic feet of gas -- an hour. Lack of inspections lead to the leaking wells discovered in the study. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Orphaned wells, Pollution

Surface Owners’ News – Fall 2021
Newsletter WVSORO Dec 1 2021
This issue includes several articles on the problems with unplugged, orphaned oil and gas wells, and what is (and isn't) being done to address these problems. We also take a look back at the 2021 legislative session, and a look ahead to 2022.  More
Issues: Aboveground tanks, DEP, Legislation, Orphaned wells

Scientists say lots of unplugged (and plugged) oil and gas wells are leaking lots of methane in West Virginia
Blog WVSORO Oct 20 2021
A study by scientists of 338 conventional vertical wells in thirteen counties in West Virginia found that 53% of active wells, 28% of unplugged inactive wells, and even 20% of plugged wells were leaking significant methane into the atmosphere -- wasting gas, aiding global warning, and gypping mineral owners. Clearly the State needs LOTS more inspectors than the current 1 for every 7000 wells. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Pollution

The Legislature is cutting the budget for oil and gas well inspectors, not fixing it!
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Apr 5 2021
The staffing level of the DEP Office of Oil and Gas was cut from 40 to 25 positions last year due to a budget deficit. There is now only 1 oil and gas inspector for every 7000 oil or gas wells and their associated tanks in West Virginia. More
Issues: Aboveground tanks, DEP, Oil and Gas

WVSORO  and WVRC file comments against Diversified pilot project to take shortcuts plugging wells.
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 18 2021
Diversified Gas & Oil wants to plug wells without first pulling out the metal casing that is not cemented into the well borehole.  WVSORO is concerned that this cannot be reliably done, and that the metal casing, when it eventually rusts away, will leave a pathway for gas to travel up to groundwater or the surface.  More

2021 legislative priorities
Blog WVSORO Jan 26 2021
Restoring and increasing funding to the DEP’s Office of Oil and Gas will be our lead priority this year.  But we will still be pushing 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 thousands and thousands of orphaned wells and other environmental problems. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Land re-union, Legislation, Pipelines

Winter 2020/21 Newsletter
Newsletter WVSORO Jan 12 2021
Read about valuing your surface rights, funding needed for the Office Oil and Gas, possible stimulus money to plug wells, a look back at our successes in the 2020 legislature, and a look at our 2121 Legislative priorities. More
Issues: Fracking, Horizontal wells, Legislation, Oil and Gas, Orphaned wells

HELP GET FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY TO PLUG ORPHANED WELLS!
Updates and Alerts Kayla Young Jul 31 2020
There is a good chance that West Virginia and other states can get money in the next federal stimulus bill to plug more orphaned wells. We need you to contact Senators Capito & Manchin! More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Oil and Gas, Orphaned wells

Cotenancy/Forced Pooling By OGCC can be challenged
Blog, Leasing / Amendment Advice Kayla Young Jun 25 2020
WVSORO believes that two of the five members of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission are not qualified to hold their positions. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas