Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Finnbear on September 2, 2011 at 1:35pm

Leases are for whatever period of time the lease language specifies UNTIL a well is drilled. Once a well is drilled, the leasehold is HBP (held by production) until the well quits producing or the lessee violates the lease terms bad enough to make the landowner pursue a release from the lease.

Permalink Reply by MonBel O & G Landowner Watchman on September 2, 2011 at 3:59pm

Finnbear, excellent answer for HBP. In some cases where the record keeping of the annual logs and or reports are incomplete, it is sometimes possible to recover your lease rights, as one Belmont Co resident just did, as well as some others in progress. You can search, find and examine some well logs on the OhioDNR website or contact the OhDNR Mineral Resources group for assistance. The problem with well logs is the simple fact that there is no police force to insure the process is working as designed.

Relative to fracking, most of the tree huggers who object to this process have an ulterior motive or sponsor for which the process  has been proven totally safe with no proven evidence of ground water contamination. I could personally take you to a water well that was drilled for a home in the early 1950 era and light the water coming out of the kitchen sink with a match to see the flame. Methane gas escaping through the surface is a natural occurring process and if you are not a believer, take the time to go to a stream with some depth and pools where you will sit and witness the bubbles coming up through the creek bottom at various times. Here below is a bit of humor aimed at the fracking fools, similar to the global warming truthers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUNBwqovI9U

Permalink Reply by Finnbear on September 2, 2011 at 11:35pm

I am finding more and more that it takes an educated lessor to keep the lessee on the straight and narrow.  Just signing a lease and hoping for the best is not enough.  One has to know exactly what they are signing and then pay attention to exactly what is going on with that lease until it expires.  If the lessee does not hold up their end of the bargain you have to know it and either make them fulfill their obligations under the lease or force them to relinquish the lease.