Marcellus Shale Drilling Goes International

As companies discover how lucrative the Marcellus Shale region has become, more and more are trying to buy a stake to the rights of the mineral-rich property.  Reliance Industries Ltd., India’s largest private-sector company, has just acquired a 60 percent stake in 104,400 Marcellus acres in central and northeastern Pennsylvania.

Reliance, which has already invested $3 billion in the purchase of shale-gas assets in Pennsylvania, believes they could yield close to 3.4 trillion cubic feet of gas.   They also anticipate drilling 1,000 wells in the area over the next decade.

Other international investors include companies from France, Norway and Japan.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues.  The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, […]

Hazelton City Authority Investigates Drilling Rights

The chairman of the Hazelton City Authority (HCA), Phil Andras, is investigating the process of the Marcellus Shale drilling that could soon be moving into the area.   Andras wants to ensure that they have the mineral rights for the 7,000 acres that the town currently owns, understand the steps needed to preserve the watershed and “spend some time learning more about the process and about the protections with the state and federal (environmental agencies).”

Andras has proposed enforcing a moratorium on Marcellus Shale drilling on HCA land until the drilling companies can prove “with a very high degree of certainty” that their operations are safe and would have no adverse environmental impact.

Another authority member, Dick Ammon agrees with Andras saying, “we want to make sure whatever’s done, we won’t pay a price down the road.”  HCA members have said they are not against drilling, but they do want to ensure their watershed is protected. […]

Over 1,400 Marcellus Shale Drilling Violations in PA

According to a report released by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, drillers in the Marcellus Shale region of the Keystone state have amassed 1,435 violations.  The information, based on data between 1/1/2008 and 7/25/2010 from the PA Department of Environmental Protection, identifies 952 of the violations which were judged as having the most potential for direct impact on the environment.

The violations were issued to 43 different drilling companies and included violations such as: Violations of Pennsylvania’s Clean Stream Law, Discharge of Industrial Waste, Improper Construction of Waste Water Impoundments, Inadequate Blowout Prevention, and Improper Construction of Waste Water Impoundments.

Most of the violations, 277 of them, were cited for Improper Erosion & Sediment Plans Developed / Implemented. The report states that Marcellus Shale natural gas well construction requires careful adherence to the implementation of erosion and sediment plans to minimize erosion that could cause harm to the streams and rivers. […]

Pooling May be Forced on Marcellus Shale Area Residents

The Marcellus Shale natural gas industry is lobbying for legislation that would force property owners in the Marcellus Shale region to allow drilling for natural gas on their land if other property owners approve the request but they refuse.  Referred to as “forced pooling,” the pooling order would set forth the terms and conditions of the forced lease, such as compensation for the reluctant property owner.

The purpose of pooling is to group adjoining mineral rights leases to form a larger drilling unit, and according to the industry, results in more economical drilling.  Property owners with mineral rights would lease his or her interest in exchange for a royalty share. In Pennsylvania, the industry wants to add the statute to the severance tax to be adopted by the state.

If you are a property owner and you are opposed to drilling on your property, […]

Pennsylvania DEP Launches the Marcellus Shale Examiner

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched the “Marcellus Shale Examiner,” a weekly e-newsletter to chronicle the latest news on Marcellus Shale activities.  The DEP states, “In the past three years, Pennsylvania has become the epicenter of natural gas exploration with dozens of companies seeking to capitalize on the abundant natural resources in the Marcellus Shale formation. The consequences of this rapidly growing industry affect us all.”

The DEP will use the Examiner to follow the work related to drilling in Pennsylvania the policy makers will be focusing on in the coming months.  The policies will range from enacting a severance tax so large drilling firms pay their fair share, to writing laws that could affect landowners’ rights when it comes to drilling on or under their property.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues.  […]