Leasing advice

I am wondering if  anyone out there requested any additional lease provisions that added any extra protection for their groundwater well? I have not leased my property yet, and a few of my fellow neighboors are also concerned about this particular issue. I have seen the "standard" extra provisions from the landman and was not impressed. If anyone knows of any good resources that address well protection more specifically or have had any success in obtaining leases with this language, your assistance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Mosley on August 1, 2011 at 2:37pm

Even if not in West Virginia, maybe this organization can give you ideas:

http://www.wvsoro.org/

West Virginia Surface Owners Rights Organization.

Some surface owners also own mineral rights and could get some protections in the lease.

Permalink Reply by Robin Jackson on August 1, 2011 at 4:37pm

Check with your local Extension office.

 

Permalink Reply by Becca on August 2, 2011 at 2:38pm
I am in PA, and have started discussions with an oil and gas attorney who says that it has been done in other states. My neighboors and I all have small lots between 5-10 acres and are more concerned with our property values than bonus payments. I appreciate everyone's assistance and look forward to more feedback.
Permalink Reply by Robin Jackson on August 2, 2011 at 3:51pm
Bonus Payments increase property value..It is without value if without mineral rights..At least 75% LESS VALUE WITHOUT THE RIGHTS.
Permalink Reply by Becca on August 3, 2011 at 8:37am
I suppose I am confused. Could you clarify how the lease bonus payment increases my property value? I do own the mineral rights; hence the need for the lease. The bonus payment is only made at the time of the execution of the lease and I suppose I am not following how that helps my propery value.  Some of our concerns are related to the possiblity of environmental impacts on our groundwater supply. For example, if I have a mortgage and my water well is impacted by the drilling in the area and my well is rendered useless, I essentially am trapped in a home and cannot recover my investment. I welcome further discussion with anyone who wants to chime in. I see an awfull lot of posts on this site relating the bonuses, royalties and payments, but not a lot relating to the other issues relating to drilling like impact on the communnity's infrastructure and environmental issues.   
Permalink Reply by JMS on August 5, 2011 at 6:39am

I would suggest checking out the resources under "media" in the website's heading.  There are quite a few discussions on both sides of the fence with regard to these issues. 

Also, try fishing around on other discussion groups on this site.

There is some information out there regarding a company that has/or is in the process of perfecting technology to clean fracking water of contaminants.

If I come across it again, i will post it here.

I think the reason you don't see much information on the topic is because in some instances, it's not going to matter whether you lease or not...drilling is going to happen regardless.  Also, there is very little research out there on this because fracking for oil and gas in the marcellus and utica shale reserves is such a new technology.  According to some sources, there have been spills in only 2% of the wells drilled using this technology, but that's still thousands of gallons of posionous contaminants. 

Once you start doing the research on these issues, I think you will begin to get a better handle on what is going on with this, and why there is not more public discussion. 

Permalink Reply by JMS on August 5, 2011 at 7:01am
There are quite a few links right on this website...just check the heading topics...
Permalink Reply by Becca on August 6, 2011 at 12:13am

Oh believe me, I am under no misconception about whether or not drilling will occur in Western PA where I am located. If there is money to be made, someone will exploit it. I work in the environmental field for a living and have spent the last 11 years with my eyes wide open to the way this all works.

I would however consider myself a bit of a conservative when it comes to an industry that has the potential to impact such a large portion of a community both in the positive and the negative. Some messes take a far longer time to clean up than it did to create them.

If you come across the company working on the technology to clean frack water, that is right up my alley. Thanks for the input and I will do some surfing.

Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on August 7, 2011 at 2:45am

Becca;  check this vid of a presentation at the Penn State Marcellus Center; Scroll down to "Treating flowback"  skip the first segment (mostly generic stuff) and have plenty of coffee at he is not a professional presenter!

 

http://www.marcellus.psu.edu/resources/brownbag/index.php

Permalink Reply by craig on August 7, 2011 at 4:44am

Becca,

Here is a link to one company that is in the field of cleaning frac water. Seems to me they have the best solution yet....flowback cleaning/re-use technology is leaping forward at a tremendous rate.

http://www.ecospheretech.com/

I've read less extensively on two other companies, but don't remember their names.

 

Permalink Reply by JMS on August 8, 2011 at 4:19pm

Thanks Craig for the help in getting Becca this information.

I just haven't been able to locate it - it's somewhere on this website - could have been another county/state. 

 

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