Pennsylvania landowners negotiating oil and gas leases are increasingly being approached by third-party “landowner representation” groups offering to negotiate leases in exchange for a percentage of the per-acre bonus payment, often 8%. At first glance, this arrangement may sound reasonable, or even attractive. After all, who would not want professional help negotiating against a sophisticated… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Blog
Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Lease Attorney – 18+ Years Dedicated Exclusively to Landowners
Experienced Pennsylvania Gas Lease Attorney Representing Landowners — Never Gas Companies For more than 18 years, I have dedicated my legal career to representing oil, gas, and mineral rights owners across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I have never represented a gas company.I have never represented a pipeline company.And I never will. My practice is devoted… Read more »
Why a Pugh Clause Is Critical in a 5-Year Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Lease with a 5-Year Extension Option
Preventing Partial Unitization from Holding Your Entire Property Without Additional Compensation When a natural gas company presents a lease offering: many landowners focus primarily on bonus dollars and royalty percentages. However, one of the most financially significant protections in that lease is the Pugh clause. Without a properly negotiated Pugh clause, a company can unitize… Read more »
The Rescigno v. Statoil/Equinor Settlement: A Landmark $7 Million Royalty Case for Pennsylvania Landowners — What It Means for Royalty Payment Rights in Pennsylvania
By Attorney Douglas A. ClarkPAGasLeaseAttorney.com | PipelineAttorney.comPennsylvania’s Landowner-Only Oil and Gas Attorney Introduction In the spring of 2025, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari in Rescigno v. Statoil/Equinor & EQT (Equitrans), bringing to a final close one of the most important royalty-related legal actions in recent Pennsylvania natural gas history. I had the privilege… Read more »
Oil and Gas Lease Amendment, Modification and Ratifications – BEWARE!
In this week’s episode of All Things Marcellus Attorney Doug Clark dives deep to address Oil and Gas Lease Amendments, Modifications and Ratifications. In times of a low natural gas prices and reduced drilling, Lease Amendments, Modifications and Ratifications may become common. Gas companies may attempt to revive or restore a expired lease by presenting… Read more »
Low Natural Gas Prices May Present Opportunities for Pennsylvania Royalty Owners
In this week’s episode of All Things Marcellus, Attorney Doug Clark explains how low natural gas prices and a lack of active drilling rigs may present gas leasing and other opportunities for Pennsylvania royalty owners can. Doug initially explains how negotiated pipeline right-of-way option agreements may present future opportunities or property owners in times… Read more »
Gas Lease Terminations and Lease Extensions
Question: When Does My Oil and Gas Lease Terminate and Should I Enter Into an Agreement or Top Lease to Extend my Expiring or Terminated Gas Lease?
What Must a Drilling Company do to “hold” My Gas Lease Beyond 5 Years?
The Impact of Low Natural Gas Prices on Drilling and Expiring Leases
Beware of Companies Crying Poor and Offering Little Financial Incentive to enter into a Gas Lease Extension or Top Lease
Should I Extend My Existing Lease or Enter into a Top Lease at this Time?
Lease Extensions and Top Leases as a Second Bite of the Leasing Apple
Lease Extension and Modification Reviews and Consultations
Why Are Gas Companies in Tioga County and across Pennsylvania Aggressively Requesting Oil and Gas Lease Extensions, Modification and Amendments for very Little Financial Compensation?
Many leases in Pennsylvania are set to expire in 2016 or shortly thereafter and Southwestern Energy and other gas companies across Pennsylvania are aggressively seeking to extend existing gas leases for little to no compensation. Given today’s low natural gas prices, Southwestern Energy and many gas companies across Pennsylvania are seeking to extend existing Oil and Gas Leases to avoid drilling expensive horizontal wells into the deeper Marcellus and Utica Shale formations. Property and gas rights owners must be very cautious when considering any extension, modification or amendment of their existing gas lease as these extensions or other changes generally benefit the gas company and not the landowner.
Should Landowners Enter Into Oil and Gas Leases Given Today’s Low Natural Gas Prices?
Pennsylvania landowners must carefully consider how the current low natural gas price market may negatively impact Oil and Gas Lease offers by energy companies. As I often say on All Things Marcellus, gas companies are very smart and their landman understand how to present gas lease and other offers to landowners in order to secure signatures. One very common company landman technique at the present time is to use low natural gas prices as a tool to convince landowners to sign bad gas leases and other agreements.
Understanding Your Existing Gas Lease
Many Marcellus Shale landowners have contacted my office by telephone and through our websites requesting assistance in understanding their currently active oil and gas lease. Due to the large number of requests, I have started performing detailed oil and gas lease reviews for landowners across Pennsylvania who have already entered into an oil and gas leases, but need assistance in understand the terms of their gas lease and what to expect moving forward.
