Pooling

The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has reversed a lower court ruling that approval by those holding oil and natural gas royalty rights is required for pooling agreements in the state’s Marcellus Shale.

The oil and natural gas industry’s ongoing attempt in West Virginia to get some kind of law passed to gather landowners into large tracts for unconventional horizontal drilling will likely have to wait another year as the latest legislation remains stuck in the House Energy Committee with little time left in the regular session.

The latest version of a bill that would allow West Virginia’s natural gas producers to gather mineral owners into a large tract of land to better block-up acreage positions for horizontal drilling has been sent to the state Senate floor for consideration.

After several years of failing to pass forced pooling legislation in West Virginia, the oil and gas industry is hoping a rebranding of sorts that more closely considers the rights of majority and minority landowners will finally modernize the state’s laws on the matter.

For the fifth time in the last six years, the West Virginia legislature is considering a bill that would allow forced pooling in the Marcellus Shale and other shallow formations.

A West Virginia lawmaker plans to again introduce a bill that would allow exploration and production companies drilling the Marcellus Shale and other shallower formations to pool landowners into units despite the failure of similar legislation in recent years.

West Virginia’s oil and natural gas industry remains committed to getting legislation passed that would allow forced pooling in the Marcellus Shale and other shallow formations, according to remarks delivered before the state’s Joint Standing Committee on Energy.

West Virginia's oil and natural gas industry remains committed to getting legislation passed that would allow forced pooling in the Marcellus Shale and other shallow formations, according to remarks delivered before the state's Joint Standing Committee on Energy.

Pennsylvania’s Environmental Hearing Board on Wednesday ruled that it does not have “original jurisdiction” to approve orders for well spacing and drilling units — or requests for forced pooling — as they’re referred to in the state.