C. Robert Wood

My son, Wes, and I have been deeply involved with the Wetzel County land since 1972. Just north of Jacksonburg and east of Pine Grove on Lowman Ridge in Grant District off of route 20. The land, as much as 180 acres, was an original Land Grant from Virginia. We have three veins of coal as well as gas and oil. We also have three high pressure 36" gas lines running west to east carrying local WV gas to the east coast. I lived in Texas for 35 years and had incidental contact with both sides, production and ownership. I will assure that 95% of land owners have no experience that gives a hint on how to deal with landmen or producers. My son has retained an attorney and a full title search has been completed and will be recorded at the courthouse giving full evidence of our surface and mineral rights. The Marcellus play confirms what our family has believed for several generations. Played right, Marcellus will revive the state economically.

Immeditely, I would:
01. Try to locate the Columbia lease--from Columbia directly or from the courthouse-the courthouse is very disorganized and over time misplaced, or lost, many documents;
02. Secure a property tax statement from family records or courthouse-will identify property location;
03. Talk to neighbors and get information from them, that helped us a lot;
04. I suspect you are participating in a vertical gas well, not a horizontal well, so area of surface may not be as great as horizontal well;
05. If you can find location in county, I can send you a topo chart of the area.

Mr. Wood, I've been avoiding all this, believe it or not. I've inherited what appears to be a decent share of mineral rights passing from my mother and late aunt to me in Wetzel County. On a larger scale, 3 of my cousins are also involved with a small share for them. There were gas wells for years on the property that didn't produce much and royalty checks that went to my aunt, never amounting to much. However, now I'm being contacted right and left by gas companies wanting to secure leases. Quite frankly I'm totally confused by all this lingo, and what it really amounts too. Unfotunately I've also been listening to the echo in my head whereas my late relatives always said the royalties never amounted to anything and therefore I've ignored them all. I believe it was because those leases were so old. Now, there's a "new kid in town" Am I on the right track here? Although my aunt died 2-1/2 years ago, I've not gotten any royalty checks. Where should I start? Thanks so much for sharing! Kim