July 28th, 2010 the NARO Board of Directors recognized the new NARO Pennsylvania Chapter! On the heels of that announcement came the 2010 NARO Annual Convention, held in the East for the first time ever at the Hyatt Regency in Pittsburgh, PA. Three days packed with valuable seminars, networking opportunities, a trade show for mineral owners, great food and very enjoyable dinner boat cruise in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Nearly one third of the 310 participants were from PA and many were new members at their first NARO conference. Feedback from the PA members was overwhelmingly positive, exceeding expectations and confirming that a NARO Membership is money well spent.

When the first landman approached us to lease in 1999 I began my energy industry research and came across NARO on the web, sent for a brochure and kept it on my desk until I joined in 2007. There were many times I “almost” joined but was held back by the fact that I was not collecting royalties and in fact did not even have a well. I envisioned an elite class of membership to which I wouldn’t belong. Was I wrong! The knowledge of generations of royalty owners is a resource to prepare for leasing as well as for managing producing mineral interests.

Pennsylvania is home to oil and gas production dating back to the Drake Well in 1859, Marcellus Shale is only the latest industry boon. Mineral owners have a tremendous amount of information to process, sometimes making decisions daily that will affect their royalty income for generations. Legislation is brewing regarding a severance tax and compulsory integration, E&P companies are making deals to shape that policy and at this point royalty owners are not at the table in any organized way. In the next weeks our chapter will activate a committee to explore these and other issues to be addressed in Harrisburg. Other NARO chapters have had great success in protecting royalty income by having their voice heard in their respective state capitals.

Our first PA NARO Town Hall Meeting will be held November 10th in Williamsport, PA. NARO members are free and non members pay $20 per person. Watch for details!

Jackie Root, CMM- PA NARO Chapter President