Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jim Thompson on February 1, 2012 at 1:31am

Hello Dan,

Well they spent alot of time and money installing a pad.  At the hearing, on the stand a Chesapeake Engineer was asked how many vertical wells they have drilled. His reply was "Zero, we are in the business of drilling horizontally." The case is still in court and right now all discussions are going on between our Lawyers.

No one owns their mineral rights in the 3,600 acres around the Club, !,800 belonging to the state and they have the same wording in their deeds that is in the J.S.C. If they decided to move in on other peoples property to drill and the property owners don't like it, Chesapeake could find itself back in court with the precedent of Judge Nunners ruling being used as a deterent.

When the property was purchased in '59 a rabbit dog had problems chasing rabbits in that terrain. J.S.C. members spent alot of time and hardworkgetting the property to the condition it is now.  Many of us wouldn't care if they just bulldozed that pad  and put our property back the way they found it.

Permalink Reply by 1s7k1qp9wk1t7 on February 1, 2012 at 3:31am

BS....it's all about the DOLLARS and EVERBODY knows it.....if CHK offered the JSC a million dollars they would probably dislocate their shoulders from moving so fast to sign the deal....I don't want to hear any malarkey about rabbit dogs

Permalink Reply by Dan on February 1, 2012 at 4:15am

That seems a little harsh, dan.  Why would the Club be interested in money directly?  It's an organization, not an individual.  A well pad ruins a big section of their recreational land.  It seems to me that the point is exactly the rabbit dogs, or more precisely having land that is ideal for hunting and fishing.  That's what it's all about.  If Chesapeake was offering an amount of money that would allow the Club to acquire the same  amount (or more) of prime hunting and fishing acreage as there was before CHK came (a net improvement to the Club) that might be reasonable.  $1M might cover that, I don't know.  The Club also might be interested in new buildings or improved roads or ponds, but in the end, the quantity of usable recreational land is primarily why they are there, and Chesapeake is taking that from them.  "They aren't making any more land," the saying goes.  I don't begrudge the Club trying to find whatever legal means they can to keep their land intact, and I don't think it's all about the money.

Permalink Reply by 1s7k1qp9wk1t7 on February 1, 2012 at 4:19am

A "big" section is ruined?.....how much exactly is RUINED?....how many acres do they hold?.....I'm just saying a million in cash would probably make it the nicest sportsman club in the state.....plush and well appointed

Permalink Reply by Finnbear on February 1, 2012 at 4:25am

It may not be all about the money but I don't know of a hunting and fishing club anywhere that wouldn't be interested in $1M if it was available to them. Most clubs like this are aging in their ranks with not a lot of younger people joining and this results in a diminishing budget. $1M could buy more land, allow them to improve and/or add facilities (shooting range, trap or skeet range, build a lake, new clubhouse, etc.), the possibilities are endless. The club I belong to was ready (with funding available) to put in a new, very nice pistol range last year. A neighboring property became available through a foreclosure and we opted to buy that instead as a buffer zone for our trap range. Our dream pistol range is postponed until we can afford it. Clubs like this are not flush with cash and $1M dropped in their lap could accomplish a lot of things.

Permalink Reply by 1s7k1qp9wk1t7 on February 1, 2012 at 4:41am

Exactly Finnbear.....I couldn't have said it better.....and a million is pocket money to CHK....I think it's important to be realistic with companies like CHK....you're not going to hold them over a barrel....they could pick up and go put in a pad elsewhere and what would the club have but a pile of unpaid lawyers fees....it's smart business to work out a reasonable deal......

Permalink Reply by Dan on February 1, 2012 at 4:48am

Dan and Finnbear, I think we all pretty much agree - it's not the money, it's what the money can buy.  Some things you can get quickly with money, like a gun range or new buildings. Some things like a forest, can't just be "built" quickly, no matter how much money you have.  You can buy additional land that has mature forests, but that may or may not be available.  Anyway, the reality is that CHK was not offering them anywhere near $1M, last I heard.  Jim says the lawyers are still hashing this out though, so with the new leverage that the Nunner ruling provides the Club, they just might be able to get an offer much larger than previously offered.

Permalink Reply by Jim Thompson on February 1, 2012 at 5:24am

At $50.00 a year dues and only 190 members it's not like we have deep pockets to fight these people. Our lawyers get paid if they win.

This Club began when a dozen guys wanted a place to shoot trap. It revolved around the families then. I have alot of childhood memories from there, I learned to swim in the old swimming hole, I drug coon hides to lay the track at field trials for a pepsi and a candy bar. My kids now go there to fish and ride ATV's.

Our organization is not called the Jewett Gas and Oil Club. We didn't think our requests at first were unreasonable, but after the way they conducted themselves, there are many who feel if they want to play, then they will have to pay.

Permalink Reply by Jim Thompson on February 1, 2012 at 8:41am

Hi Katherine,

Yes times have changed its not just a good old boy hang out, we do a lot of things throughout the year and a lot of the events are open to the public.

We were and are concerned about the discharge of firearms near and around the drill site.  We have heard that some contracts do not allow the discharge of firearms any where on the property, but we have no contract with them so I guess it's driller beware.

J.S.C. is 3/4 surrounded by State property and I don't think anyone is in a selling mood around there. But I'm sure if the price was right they would sell.

Permalink Reply by Finnbear on February 1, 2012 at 7:27am

If all 3600 acres are under the same deed restrictions as JSC, then CHK needs to go to those landowners where they hold the lease and negotiate a new deal that allows access from one of them or lease land outside and drill under from there.

Permalink Reply by Jim Thompson on February 1, 2012 at 8:55am

As I understand Chesapeake likes easy access and relatively flat or open areas and the J.S.C. site is about the only area there that falls in this catagory.  If you are not familiar with the area, the surrounding area is full of strip pits and dragline piles.

The site the pad sits on was a reclaimed hay field from when we sold our crop coal in the 80's and due to EPA regulations the coal company had to reclaim and reseed the areas they dug up.  That gave us 5 large fields that we use for hay or plant corn for the wildlife.

Yes any landowner has as every right to negotiate a contract with them to have a pad placed on their property. I think Chesapeake choose the J.S.C. site because it falls within the distance they wish to put a well from the Beuhl site.

Permalink Reply by Philip Brutz on February 7, 2012 at 9:19am

Jim, have you heard any updates that you are able to post yet?  I realize that you probably can not discuss ongoing negotiations.

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