Reclaiming land.

I am considering leasing my 30 acres in beautiful Monroe County Ohio. My property is beautiful with a stream ,waterfall, mature trees and I planned on building someday on this "park like setting". My question is; what will my property look like after fracking? Will they reclaim the land to they way it used to be or will it forever look like a construction zone. Will beautiful Monroe County end up looking like a bad dream eventually. I know we all need cash in this economy and myself being one of them but will my property be worthless and basically a nasty sight to behold if I allow fracking to take place. All with the hope that they "might hit gas" or "they might include all of my acres in the unit". This all sounds like a huge gamble for the hopes of some easy money. Kind of like the lottery and we all know of the horror stories attributed to the lottery.

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Permalink Reply by Mark McGrail on September 4, 2013 at 5:42pm

lynn,

I have seen many Utica well sites developed, this is not your grandads oilfield.

As you describe the sites are well made and maintained.

I'll post some picture from our area.

Thanks for being an informed individual.

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on September 4, 2013 at 8:42pm
The kind of industrialization we're writing about is the kind that occurs pertinent to any deep multi - vertical / multi - lateral five acre pad type Utica well development (for example).

We wouldn't want that degree of surface disturbance to happen on our place.

We think such would ruin our place; whereas a single vertical conventional type well (deep or shallow): or a number of deep laterals simply traversing and draining our natural gas / oil resources should not.
Permalink Reply by Philip Brutz on September 5, 2013 at 12:24am

This is a Google map view of an area in PA where Marcellus drilling has occurred. 

https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.723027,-76.042299&spn=0.05631,0....

Use satellite view and zoom in on one of the gravel pads.

If you are not comfortable with having a gravel pad on your property for a number of years I would not sign a lease that allows for surface rights. 

Permalink Reply by Brad Cellier on September 5, 2013 at 3:57am

Jeff,

I have a 40-acre property that I did not want disturbed.  I am located in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.  My property has mostly mature trees, a brook, a small field, and my home.  When I was approached about a lease, I wanted a Pugh Clause, so that if they decided not to include all of my acreage in the unit, I could shop the remaining acreage to another gas company.  I saw on a discussion, here, that someone had used lease language requiring the gas company to use all of the landowner's property in the unit.  The gas company I signed with would not agree to a Pugh Clause, but they did agree to the following language:

"Lessee shall have the right at any time to pool and consolidate, all or none, but not part of the Leased Premises, as to any formation or strata as described in the “Depth Restriction” term, with lands or leases adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of the Leased Premises, so as to constitute a unit or units for the purpose of entering, with the owners and/or leases, into joint operating agreements providing for the joint operation and development of the Leased Premises or portions thereof with adjoining lands to prevent the drilling of an excessive number of wells or of wells located too close to the boundary of the Leased Premises, providing that the unit or pool is not arbitrary and acreage constituting the unit or pool does not exceed 80 acres for a vertical well or 640 acres for a horizontal well and includes all of the leased premises or Lessor has approved such unitization in writing."

So, if they include my property in a unit, then they are required to pay me royalties on all my acreage.

I also made it a "No-Disturbance" lease, so no impact to the surface of any kind.  They paid me $500 less per acre up-front bonus for this "No-Disturbance" clause, but I don't think they intended to put a well on my property, anyway.  I didn't care - the No-Disturbance clause was important to me.  30 acres is not that big compared to many properties - you may be able to argue that because your property is not that large, you want them to add a no-disturbance clause and require them to include all of your acreage in any unit involving your property. 

Good luck to you.

Brad.

Permalink Reply by Bill Bergseid on September 5, 2013 at 4:46am

Fracking will not change the way your property looks unless the well's surface location is on your property.  Fracking is done 1-1/2 MILES below your surface.  You can add a provision to any lease you grant that there will be no surface use of your land, so that no well drilling will change your surface.

Permalink Reply by JamesG on September 5, 2013 at 5:11am

Just a couple of points here from a landowner in PA.  First, having a small property does not assure no surface disturbance.  The pad can be co located on adjacent properties with the property boundary actually going through the middle of the pad.  This is the case with our proposed pad.  Secondly, the reclamation of the area around the pad will not be returned to the state before drilling anytime soon  These pads will be used for many years.  A landowner must realize this and my operator was very up front in telling me this.  Portions of the pad will be concrete with large condensate tanks.  I expect about 10 acres will be a pad and access road for beyond 10 years and probably much longer.  The wells will be tended to everyday by driving on the access road year around.  They did not pay for the use of the land because they felt sorry for us.  It is a business.  I think because our expectations are in line with reality we as landowers will be more satisied with the agreement we entered into.   Given this, It is still good for us.

Permalink Reply by Money Bags on September 5, 2013 at 7:08am
Bill is correct, you can ask for a no surface
Lease, the sportsmans club got the no surface lease , but instead of 5800 an acre they got 5000 and 20 %. Fracking happens
1 1/2 miles down. More damage is done my longwall minning than by drilling
Permalink Reply by Ian A Sopko on September 10, 2013 at 4:56am

Jeff,

I am a high-end natural garden designer of many years, and restoring a disrupted natural setting to it's former state is one of my specialties.  I was on this site looking for opportunities for wetlands/natural habitat restoration and consulting, and saw your post.  

Any contract can be made to reflect your conditional approval of a lease, The company offering the lease will simply weigh the balance between restoring your property, and the value of the oil/gas to them. If I can be of any assistance please feel free to contact me. 

Sincerely,

Ian Andrew Sopko

iansopko@gmail.com

Permalink Reply by kris miller on September 12, 2013 at 6:23am
I have a water impoundment and almost 3 miles of pipeline 1 pig launcher and 1 valve. They just finished pipeline took about 6 months . My fields were put back into the condition they found em and better. I'd have no problem emailing pics to you it's hard to get a idea of what they are gonna do till you see it. Just remember your leasing your land they are very crafty the phrase " we have the right to economically extract our target formation " will haunt you for generations to come. Also consider how it may lower your property value extra taxes etc.

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