Updated June 29, 2026 When gas company operations affect water on a Pennsylvania property, the issue can be far more serious than an ordinary surface-damage claim. Water is essential to a home, farm, business, livestock operation, recreational property, and long-term land value. If a private water well, spring, pond, stream, wet area, drainage feature, or… Read more »
Posts By: Doug Clark
Pennsylvania Damage Releases: What Landowners Should Know Before Signing Away Oil and Gas Claims
Updated June 16, 2026 Pennsylvania landowners are often asked to sign documents called Damage Releases, Settlement Agreements, Release Agreements, Waivers, or similar forms after oil and gas activity affects their property. The document may be presented after damage occurs. It may also be presented before work begins, as part of a Well Pad Agreement, Roadway… Read more »
Pennsylvania Reclamation Issues: What Landowners Should Know After Gas Company Operations
Updated June 22, 2026 When a gas company, pipeline company, or contractor finishes work on a Pennsylvania landowner’s property, the landowner may expect the property to be returned to the condition promised in the lease, addendum, surface use agreement, well pad agreement, roadway agreement, or other written contract. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. Reclamation… Read more »
Pennsylvania Roadway and Access Road Agreements: What Landowners Should Know Before Signing
When a gas company wants to build, improve, or use a road across a Pennsylvania landowner’s property, the company may present a Roadway Agreement, Access Road Agreement, Roadway Easement Agreement, Temporary Road Agreement, or similar document. The agreement may sound simple. The landman may explain that the company only needs a road to reach a… Read more »
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know Before Signing a Surface Use Agreement
When a gas company wants to use the surface of a Pennsylvania landowner’s property, the company may present a document called a Surface Use Agreement. This agreement may involve a well pad, access road, water line, pipeline, impoundment, above-ground facility, meter station, valve site, staging area, or other surface operation. In many cases, the surface… Read more »
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know About Unit Declarations, Unitization, and Pooled Acreage
Many Pennsylvania landowners sign oil and gas leases without fully understanding one of the most important concepts in modern shale development: Unitization and pooled acreage. Years later, the landowner may suddenly receive: At that point, many landowners realize they are unsure: These issues can have enormous financial and legal consequences. What Is Unitization or Pooling?… Read more »
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know Before Signing an Oil and Gas Lease “Memorandum” or “Short Form” Filing
When a Pennsylvania landowner signs an oil and gas lease, the gas company often records a separate document called a Memorandum of Oil and Gas Lease or a Short Form Lease Memorandum. Many landowners pay little attention to this document because they assume the important agreement is the lease itself. That can be a mistake. The Memorandum may:… Read more »
Should Pennsylvania Landowners Sign a Division Order Before Reviewing Their Oil and Gas Lease?
When Pennsylvania landowners begin receiving natural gas royalty payments, the gas company often sends a document called a Division Order. Many landowners sign the document immediately because it appears administrative or routine. That can be a mistake. A Division Order may affect: Before signing a Division Order, Pennsylvania landowners should carefully review both the Division… Read more »
Pennsylvania Gas Royalty Statements: What Landowners Should Review Before Accepting the Numbers
When Pennsylvania landowners receive natural gas royalty statements, the documents often appear confusing, technical, and difficult to evaluate. Many statements contain columns of numbers, codes, volumes, prices, deductions, taxes, owner decimal interests, and payment calculations that are not easy to understand. As a result, many landowners simply deposit the royalty check and assume the amount… Read more »
Can a Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Lease Expire? What Landowners Need to Know About “Held by Production” Claims
When a Pennsylvania landowner signs an oil and gas lease, the lease usually includes a primary term and a secondary term. The primary term is the initial period during which the gas company has the right to explore, drill, pool, unitize, or otherwise take action to preserve the lease. The secondary term is the period… Read more »
