Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by dr j on December 13, 2011 at 6:38am

Amen Kim!

A wonderful friend from another area of the country - a lovely, gentrified area in which it takes well over 7 digits to buy a "little place"  was aghast we would even consider "leasing our land" for this horrendous purpose.  So easy  to decide how others should live their lives - so easy to have a knee-jerk reaction when you are not forced to critically evaluate a situation.    

I pointed out to her several issues which "gut reaction" types tend to not consider......

1) it's not going away...... if I don't lease many of neighbors have so I get the consequences no matter what I personally "feel".  I also get none ( or a lesser percentage) of the money.

2) the only way it goes away is if "it" ( the oil and gas) is not down there.   To that end if she is concerned about us and leasing she should immediately give up driving her car/truck/sportscar etc etc etc so the demand for what is "down there" goes away.  ie the pot is calling the kettle black.

3) Not only do we need to sign a lease to protect our property ( esp true in our case as we had an old lease that provided almost NO protection etc) but we also need the financial windfall in case her  "worst fears come true" and our water is ruined and our land is worthless.  In that case we need all the money we can get so we can buy a place next to her....... so move over.

  

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Permalink Reply by Brian Day on December 13, 2011 at 6:41am

And what do those people do for a living, or what did they do before they retired? 

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Permalink Reply by dr j on December 13, 2011 at 7:06am

Brian, 

Old family money.  Career was as a liason between FAA (federal aviation admin)  and unions I believe.  Family money came first. 

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Permalink Reply by time will tell on December 14, 2011 at 6:15pm

If I may make a suggestion , in our leases there is a way to protect our selves . We need to change part of how leases are written , take the arbitration clause out of the lease and replace it with all disputes can be taken to trial if both parties can't agree on damages as a last resort .

You have heard that old saying " The devil is in the details " well this can't be more true when dealing the O-G companies .

I am in the middle of a dispute with a O-G company that I can't give you all of the details yet but if I had known this at the time it would have saved me hundreds of thousands dollars not to mention the ecological damage that resulted .

I'm not saying this to affect any of our leases but rather to educate you so if this ever becomes a issue .

You wont have to be a victim like my self  rather a educated landowner .

I am not a no drill no-way enviro - wacko . I am not repeat not acusing any of the current players in this Shale play of anything but when dealing with O-G companies the big wheel get the grease and if they are as they claim this should not be a problem to change this clause .

As for the news report it is just that . I'f you lease your land that in no way is a queston of anyone's morals period .

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Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on December 13, 2011 at 7:33am

Kim; This is typical of all the news media....hype the issue to the extremes of both sides so that it is as controversial as possible.  Thats what gets ratings.  They have no interest in presenting the facts in an honest and rational way.

Problem is that people will start to parrot those headlines and we will be further divided without the knoiwledge necessary to make informed decisions.

And you have every right to be angry with this characterization of the whole fracking debate. Anyone that is in favor of developing our oil and gas is portrayed as greedy sellouts. Those accusers have no idea how we have researched all the issues, how we have worked to get good leases to protect our rights and our land, or how we are writing to legislators to enact laws to do the same.

Keep up the venting.....

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Permalink Reply by dr j on December 13, 2011 at 7:42am

I for one am very aware that we have to "live with the consequences".   There is a reason ( there are several) there is significant financial compensation involved.  If there was not this would be a "NO brainer" for many of us.  

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Permalink Reply by Kim D on December 13, 2011 at 8:33am

Thanks for all of the responses...believe me, I had to tone down my venting.  If I can reference back to Dr j's initial response...in regards to his friend's 'aghast' response to his leasing...those three little words...Money or Morals ?...are all that's needed for the general public (including friends and family) to see/hear that can generate unfair or downright cruel opinions of us landowners.  I truly hope and pray this drilling is accomplished in the safest manner possible, as we ALL hope.  Yes, I welcome with open arms any possible future royalties, as I also look forward to seeing Ohio's unemployment rate drop, especially in some of our hardest hit areas.  Yet, I do not look forward to living my life under the scrutiny of person's that know nothing of my character.  To shed some humor and tone down my anger, as the saying goes...I guess I'd better 'put on my big girl panties and deal with it!'...this type of reporting, accusations and bias will be here a long time.

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Permalink Reply by dr j on December 13, 2011 at 11:50am

Kim- I am sure you will do just that.   I think the best "revenge" we will have is living well..... for many of us we have an unparalleled opportunity to make a difference in our communities, our world.  I would hope that even the dimmest bulb ( I am an eternal optimist) will eventually put 2 and 2 together when this prosperity starts to bear very evident fruit.   Personally I know there will be ( has been already) talk as we drive the new cars, see the newly paved driveways ( we have a few of those around here!) remodeling, new barns and outbuildings etc.  Hopefully those same people will see coorelation when there is a large donation for improvements at the local fairgrounds or a church is able to meet their mission goals much more quickly when projected etc.   Money in good hands, does good things.... and we need to be those good hands.

For us more personally- we bought our farm over 18 years ago.  Very nice land but the joke was "if the house fell down, it wouldn't change the property value".   We lived in that dumpy old house for over 15 years.  Literally had neighbors say "how can you live in that house?"   We worked hard - paid the farm off, tore down the old house and built a new one.    All those years have paid off..... and now in spades ( and maybe diamonds too!)   We are blessed.... but we were also smart enough ( and maybe Irish enough- the good earth of Tara/Gone With the WInd thing) to value the land most of all rather than trading for a new nice house in the 'burbs ( was tempting at times).   

Just an FYI.... dr j= a she!  LOL 

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Permalink Reply by Kim D on December 13, 2011 at 9:15am

That's it Utica....the power of positive thinking.  I like it.

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Permalink Reply by 3uq96odaochmj on December 13, 2011 at 9:28am

What pisses me off is that individuals say they are "for the little guy", but when Shell, Chesapeake, Exxon shows up offering 3,4, or $5K per acre; they turn their backs on the little companies who employ and spend their money locally and have been a mainstay in PA, OH, WV, and NY oil & gas  for decades.  Talk abbut hypocrisy!!!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Schnoozie on December 13, 2011 at 10:07am

Jasper,

Can you confirm somehow that CHPK sold a % interest in its utica shale play to Investors at 15,000 per acre. How do you know this. Where did you see it, read it, how is this possible???.

 

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Permalink Reply by Schnoozie on December 13, 2011 at 10:36am

Sorry I meant that to go to Utica Shale.

How do you know this? Who bought it?? How did the transaction take place?? Where??

$15,000 is alot of money per acre. if you just leased it for 3000.00 per acre

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