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 »
Posts Categorized: Blog
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 »
PA Gas Lease Extension, Ratification or Amendment: What to Do
When a Pennsylvania landowner is contacted by a gas company years after signing an oil and gas lease, the request often comes in the form of a lease extension, ratification, or amendment. These documents are frequently presented as routine or administrative. In many cases, they are anything but. In reality, when a company reaches out… Read more »
Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Lease Addendum: 10 Clauses to Demand
When a Pennsylvania landowner receives an oil and gas lease, the first instinct is often to focus on the bonus payment and royalty percentage. Those numbers matter, but they are only part of the story. In many cases, the most important protections in the entire transaction are found in the lease addendum. The addendum is… Read more »
PUGH Clauses in Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Leases: How to Prevent Companies from Holding Your Entire Property
One of the most important—and most overlooked—provisions in a Pennsylvania oil and gas lease is the PUGH clause. Without it, a gas company can drill a single well on a small portion of your property and use that well to hold your entire acreage under lease indefinitely, even if the vast majority of your land… Read more »
Top 5 Mistakes Pennsylvania Landowners Make When Signing Oil & Gas Leases (and How to Avoid Them)
Pennsylvania landowners are often presented with oil and gas leases that appear straightforward—but in reality, these agreements are complex, highly technical contracts drafted to benefit the operator. Over the past 18+ years representing landowners across Pennsylvania, I have seen the same critical mistakes repeated—mistakes that can significantly reduce long-term income, restrict property rights, and create… Read more »
