News - Category Archives: Mineral Rights Law

The development of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, technology, which is the extraction process for natural gas under shale formations, has allowed the oil and gas industry to experience exponential growth. And refracking takes that growth one step further. What is refracking, and how does it impact the energy industry and individuals? Keep reading to find out. What Is Refracking? Well refracking, also known as Fracking 2.0, is the process in which those who initially dug …

In West Virginia (WV) and nationwide, a property that contains minerals will often have two owners—one that owns the above-ground property or surface rights—and one that owns the below-the-surface property, or mineral rights. Often, these property rights conflict. The mineral owner may want to do work on the surface of the property that is necessary to extract minerals from the ground; at the same time, the surface owner may not want the mineral owner to do …

Natural Gas Contract Law Often, natural gas companies involved in drilling in the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia lease mineral rights from landowners and sign contracts to provide natural gas to third parties. Natural gas drilling can be profitable depending on the price the precious material brings on the market. But sometimes, drilling companies may be contractually obligated to continue drilling and supplying natural gas even when the price is depressed. In those cases, natural gas …