When is close too close?

Chesapeake is drilling next to my property (I have 160 acres). When I say next to, the last trees standing at the northern edge of their pad are mine. I somewhat knew that something was going on a few months ago when my neighbor (who is unsigned) to the north of me said some company was in his lawn with GPS saying they were marking some boundaries. While checking on my property to make sure they have not damaged anything a couple of the guys working on the pad came over to talk to me and appeared surprised that they were allowed to put a pad so close someone that is not in the unit. When I contacted the company they said that all the wells on that pad will be going south (then why run GPS reading to the north?) and they had to come right to my line to get the distance they needed for their horizontals. Are there any laws about how close they can come to me? Is this something I need to worry about and if so who do I talk to? To add insult to injury not only will this probably impact the hunting on that section of my property but the piles of shit with toilet paper left by the loggers that cleared it are all over my trails. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Keith on September 28, 2011 at 5:45am
I would be willing to bet it is a conservation well because if it isn't then the next well they drill must be 1,000 feet away.  So what they do is drill down past the Marcellus to the magical 10,000 foot mark, then pull it back up and enter the Marcellus.  That shouldn't matter though, because it is my understanding that the 330 feet is from the wellhead and the lateral, but 330 feet is really not that far (football field).
Permalink Reply by Barbara on September 28, 2011 at 6:35am
what is a 'conservation well'?
Permalink Reply by melissa humphrey on March 4, 2013 at 3:59pm

Craig is correct.

Also we hear in the WAY North, the unleased landowner in question has to deal with development all around her and harms neighbors who wish to contribute their gas efficiently..

Also word is, after 5 yrs, if someone won't lease, the unit shape will be changed, and the upper acreage will be included in a more northern unit.

That lady must be very rich because she will NOT receive any royalty ever, but still see drilling out her window.. 

Permalink Reply by Finnbear on September 29, 2011 at 1:59am
Here is another interesting CHK well plat in Harrison county OH. Notice that from the edge of the unit to the surface location is 101' and that they show another 399' to the "entry point" which I believe is where the well bore enters the target formation. This puts their production point 500' from the unit boundary. They also have the boundaries along the lateral at 500' either direction.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Gardner on September 29, 2011 at 12:15pm

Sounds like PA was not prepared for all this drilling .. those plats do not show pad location, just properties, and not even acreage. Does PA have forced pooling? Sounds like a lack of regulation ..hence big corp does what they want. I am hoping Ohio is better prepared.  

Finnbear.. your correct, the 101+399 = 500' which is state law for setback from the drilling unt lines. My assumption has been that the entry point is where they go horz in the shale. In the Buell well unit all minerals are owned by North Am Coal... if I'm not mistaken this is all been stripped for coal years ago.

Permalink Reply by Finnbear on September 29, 2011 at 2:21pm
I thought the 500' was state law for setback but did not have time to verify it before I answered earlier. Thanks. You are correct about "entry point" and it is where the well pipe enters the target formation (Utica Shale in this case). Does "Minerals" include Oil and Gas in this case? I know that in PA, "Mineral Rights" does NOT include oil and gas. They are named separately from mineral rights in legal documents in PA.
Permalink Reply by Keith on September 30, 2011 at 2:58am
Yes, in OHIO minerals includes oil and gas.  You are also correct in that North American Coal owns 100% of the minerals in the Buell Unit and they signed their acreage for very little per acre, but I would guess the royalties off this one well makes up for the low signing bonus.
Permalink Reply by Finnbear on September 30, 2011 at 4:20am
The ones who get in early always have to sign cheaply. That is the only way a new market is going to get developed. The operators will take the risk leasing some acreage cheap and if it doesn't pan out they are not out tons of money. When those early entrants start leasing everything in sight, it is usually a good indication that the play IS going to pan out. Those who sign early/cheap will probably also get royalties before anyone else so they have the money to reinvest before anyone else.
Permalink Reply by Jay White on September 28, 2011 at 10:52am
Since I am leased with Chief should I contact them about the close proximaty that the well is to land they leased?
Permalink Reply by Frank Walker on September 28, 2011 at 3:31pm

It surprises me there remains uncertainty about PA law . . . although at least one poster above has it right:

 

With Marcellus wells they can drill right up to your property line.  Period.  Sorry.

 

What is not decided in PA law is whether they can FRACK your shale.   This is why I advised you earlier to send them a formal notice.  Doing so is equivalent to putting up a "no trespassing" sign.

 

 

Permalink Reply by melissa humphrey on March 4, 2013 at 3:54pm

If you are leased, it is likely a bore will go N NW as well. 

Units are probably not yet formed, usually takes place sometime after a well is drilled.

Should work out.

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