Gas Leasing in South Franklin Township
Gas leasing and drilling has been happening in some of the surrounding townships since early 2008.  It will pay for this township’s residents to understand what is happening in order to make intelligent decisions about what to sign. I believe the following information is correct, but it is only my understanding at the present time. Please let the township office know of corrections that should be made. Thanks, Tom Hart

The Marcellus Shale - Possibly the largest natural gas deposit in the world The shale may contain over 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The question is can we get it out?

The message: “BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING, UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING”

The lease is complicated. Understand the legal meaning of the words used and the rights are given to the gas company. An example: The lease uses the word “covenant” and not “condition” because the gas company can break a covenant without terminating the lease. Should they break a covenant you must give them notice of the breach and permit time for a remedy. If they were to not to comply with a “condition” the lease would be terminated automatically.

*** Find a lawyer who has taken the time to learn the details of the gas company leases. There are lawyers who are experienced experts. When you sign you are committed to the words, even if you do not understand what they mean. And you, and your heirs, may be bound by them for 40 years.

*** Go to any meetings you can find. Read all you can find on the Web. Your neighbor probably knows less than you do about gas wells, so don’t sign just because s/he does.

Above is an example of horizontal drilling in the Marcellus and similar shale. The shale is only slightly porous and is very difficult to get the gas to be released from it. The technique which was devised in Texas is to bore horizontally through the desired shale or other layers. At intervals there will be openings in the pipe through which water will be forced under pressure. Sand is often added to keep the pores open.

This process causes fracturing or fracing of the rock layers. Sand is then injected into these openings to keep the shale porous so the gas will keep coming out. As can be seen from the diagram, each site may contain a number of wells, going in different directions. The actual site is usually about five acres and requires a large gravel road for the very large trucks which will be bringing equipment and supplies for the drilling operation. If water is not available on site, heavy water trucks will be needed to bring in the water. Because of the truck's size and weight, it is not unusual for the township and even state roads to fall apart in less then a week.

Above is a well drilling site from a distance. The white trucks along the base are barely visible. Drilling will progress seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day. It is well lit so nearby home will be lit up during the night for a month (per well), or so, while the drilling is going on.

When the drilling process is complete, the area should be returned to near original conditions. These are views of a finished sites.

Heavy trucks carrying equipment and water will destroy many of the township roads in less than a week. Photo of a Mt. Pleasant Township road from the Observer Reporter in Washington, Pa

Summaries

DEP Fact Sheet on oil and Gas wells and leasing

Pete's Place - Marcellus Shale

Interesting web sites

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/enotice      Enotice - DEP will send you a notice of all applications in the townships of interest.
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/oilgas.htm    Landowners and Oil & Gas Leasing in Pennsylvania 
www.pagaslease.com   Natural Gas Lease Forum For Landowners
www.naturalgaslease.pbwiki.com     Natural Gas Exploration and Leasing
http://petesplace-peter.blogspot.com/2008/04/natural-gas-marcellus-shale-play-in.html  Natural Gas, Marcellus Shale Play in Pennsylvania

www.resourcetradingonline.com Allows landowners the opportunity to receive multiple bids for gas leases.

Another Shale Making Seismic Waves
Landowners getting trampled in gas rights rush

http://gas-lease.org/oil-gas-lease-introduction/  Gas & Oil Lease Introduction
Key Components of a Gas or Oil Lease
Important Considerations Before Signing a Gas or Oil Lease
Well Drilling Overview for Gas & Oil Leases
Gas & Oil Lease Contract Checklist
Gas Lease Glossary of Terms