Current Issues and Events

Current Issues and Events

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
Diversified gets well plugging shortcut through 2025 Legislature (people signing new leases/amendments should disallow shortcut).
Leasing / Amendment Advice WVSORO May 28 2025
WVSORO was able during the 2025 West Virginia Legislature to stop the bill that would have cut the statute of limitations on back unpaid royalties.  That was the good news.  However, Diversified was able to use its political muscle to get a bill through, HB 3336, that weakened well plugging requirements.  More
Issues: LegislationMinerals-Royalties
Tell the Legislature: Pass the Orphaned Well Prevention Act!
Updates and Alerts WVSORO Mar 24 2025
Irresponsible oil and gas well drillers have 12,000 idle wells that should already be plugged. We need to stop more wells from being orphaned. We need the Orphaned Well Prevention Act! More
Issues: Oil and GasOrphaned wells
WVSORO comments on Hope Gas line abandonment and alternatives for field tap gas customers.
Tap Gas WVSORO Jan 7 2025
[Updated February 25] This issue is not to be confused with “free gas”.  Free gas is what some surface homeowners get when there is a gas well on their property.  Field taps (often called "farm taps") are where rural surface owners with gathering or transmission lines across them are allowed to tap into the pipeline, set a meter, and pay for natural gas service.  More
Issues: Oil and Gas
GOOD NEWS, KINDA, ON THE DIVERSIFIED LAW SUIT TO GET IT (AND EQT) TO PLUG MORE WELLS.
News WVSORO Jan 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