Forced Pooling in WV

WV Legislature is meeting today in special session to pass forced pooling bill.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Mosley on June 8, 2015 at 1:45pm

Link to WV Legislature Energy committee

Link to the agenda for the Joint Committee on Energy, including the forced pooling topic, not called that.

Permalink Reply by sally on June 8, 2015 at 2:18pm

 Study of Royalty Payments – Kevin Ellis, ANTERO Natural Resource

Looks like the fox is guarding the henhouse.

Permalink Reply by Nancy Mosley on June 8, 2015 at 3:20pm

Oh yes! and the WV Mineral Owners Assn is perhaps another fox. Elsewhere in the talk about forced pooling from earlier this year, there was a report about the president or former president of that assn. being indicted for being involved with a scheme to falsely put property on tax rolls, then benefit when the taxes aren't paid...

Anyway not good news.

Permalink Reply by D L T on June 9, 2015 at 12:45am

True Nancy,  those who are pushing for this bill are not your everyday mineral owners.  A lot of them are developers and quick strike money making business people.  They obtain minerals by any means possible and then go about getting legislation passed to benefit them.  I believe they are not anywhere close to being a mineral owners friend.  If people would check them out, they would see they are in it to win it.  The big oil companies are standing side by side with these people.  Bad part is, a lot of those in Charleston who are voting, do not understand what they are voting for.  They go with the flow and then come back home and tell everyone how much they accomplished.  You know the big feeling ego types that want to be at the forefront.

A large percentage of people do not even know about this session.  I would call it a sneak attack that they hope no one finds out about. 

Permalink Reply by Kyle Nuttall on June 9, 2015 at 4:45am

Whoa!  This one flew under my radar.  Thanks for the heads up.

Looks like it's just the Energy Committee, but still.

I made that the subject of my post for the day over at my blog.  I might edit that post later to be a little more caustic.  Depends on what information I dig up on the hearing.

0ym9x5ag7ury2Permalink Reply by 0ym9x5ag7ury2 on June 9, 2015 at 4:53am

Sally,

    I read the article a few months back by WV politicians who changed the name of forced pooling to something unrecognizable.

The article said they would now "Educate" WV landowners so the bill will be passed.

Being a WV landowners, I still haven't received the "Education" that was promised and I doubt that I missed the latest "Memo" from Charleston on this topic. I check my mail daily and haven't received any letters or brochures from the state. I haven't received any WV landowner Education materials by FEDEX or UPS.

Is it possible someone decided not to include the landowners in this elected officials only vote?

Will WV join PA and LA by being the newest member on the Top Ten Most Corrupt States in the US List? Ohio may be ahead of WV for making this prestigious list at present. 

Permalink Reply by Kyle Nuttall on June 9, 2015 at 6:39am

Yep.  They were using the terms "lease integration" and "fair pooling".  Euphemisms.  

What's happening today looks to be just a committee meeting, but still, I don't think there was any input from forced pooling opponents.  That's crummy.

Permalink Reply by sally on June 9, 2015 at 5:43am
I know the some of the folks from the Wirt County oil and gas group are trying to have input but it is not easy. I also heard that some of the "education" was cancelled for no explained reason.
Permalink Reply by D L T on June 9, 2015 at 6:01am

I sent an email to one of the delegates from up in the northern panhandle after the bill failed this spring.  He was a supporter of mineral owners rights.  I gave him the heads up about partition suits, which the company is now using.  He was not very familiar with partition so I filled him in.  He said he would study the partition suits more.  The partition suits are as close to forcing a mineral owner to settle or else as is the forced pooling bill.  If the company can get a judge to rule in their favor then you are at the short end.  Even if they can't they will still make you spend money to defend yourself in a hearing.  Sounds about like them doesn't it?

Permalink Reply by Kyle Nuttall on June 9, 2015 at 12:30pm

It looks like Joe Hatton, a farmer, was there to speak for those of us opposed to forced pooling.  I imagine he kind of felt like the odd man out.  He did a decent job, from what I'm reading.

http://marcellus.com/news/id/124758/new-forced-pooling-bill-anticip...

Permalink Reply by Nancy Mosley on June 9, 2015 at 12:58pm

Thanks a lot for the link, Kyle. Big topic for sure.

Permalink Reply by sally on June 9, 2015 at 1:29pm
So it looks like they are trying to get the bill ready so they can pass it next session.I didn't think they met unless they were intending to pass a bill. I'm not sure how the process works. Is there any way they would vote on it before next session?

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