Sounds like a sound plan, as long as the goods are down there. Have you negotiated at all with any drilling companies or are you waiting for the offers to get near the point you are looking for prior to starting? Also, any sites about Utica that I could learn from would be welcome.

Yes Al, it was from Kenyon. I am not in a hurry, but I do think like some of the others on this site, that the larger income will come from royalties. We cant get those until we sign. What is throwing me is the Utica. My original plans have all been based on research of the Marcellus of which Ohio is on the thinner side, but there is alot of speculation about Utica now which I have little or no knowledge of in Ohio. Sounds like more research unless you have already done some. My thinking was $3000 to $3500 per acre and 18% would get me to pick up the pen. Now I need to know more about Utica.

What are the factors that would drive the signing bonus to $14000/acre or 20% royalty? Just simply competition?

20% sounds pretty high. I'm from Okahoma where my family has had gas and oil leases for generations and the highest rate offered has always been around 3/16ths, which is 18.75%. I might be willing to wait for that, but do you have any reason to think it would ever get up to 20%

Still haven't signed yet. I know that Chesapeake is going to start drilling in the next 60 days on a permitted unit near here. The results of that first exploratory hole could make offers go up or down depending on what they find.

I met with a landman from Kenyon/Ohio Buckeye/Chesapeake yesterday, and he offered me $1500/acre with 15% royalty, which is what I know he has offered several of my neighbors recently. He showed me the lease contract that he had just signed and hour before with one of my fellow landowners, and it already had most of wording in it that I would had wanted to include as addendums, like royalty based on gross, mutual agreement on drill/pipeline/road locations, no storage, etc. But you say someone is being offerred $2000/acre? By who? And where?

Al - what's your email address? I forgot to get it from you earlier. You can email me at nhunley@shaleplayconsulting.com. Thanks.

Thanks Al -- I appreciate the welcome. I'm currently spending most of my time between Youngstown, OH, Parkersburg, WV, and Pittsburgh, PA. I'm putting in a lot of miles developing contacts. My number is 405-255-7119.

Thanks for getting in touch Al. Dan was really hoping to get to talk to you
so I have your number down for him to get in touch. He has been following
the posts for Harrison Co and some from PA and WV and trying to educate
himself so we can make informed decisions.

Al, no problem, do what you want with my posts.

Al, these shale plays are going to go on for a hundred years or more, long after all of us on this website are long gone. I just want all the folks to relize that when they sign the lease it will effect their great great great grandchildren.

Al I am in Louisiana so my comments are in the prospective of looking at the Marcellus from Louisiana eyes. I just hope that all the natural gas plays pan out. We just need a bit of a price hike.

In Tuscarawas County, Have 48 acres.