Educational Meeting on Oil & Gas Leasing Set for August 1 in Elkins

BUCKHANNON, WV –Senator Clark Barnes (R-Randolph) has invited representatives of the WV Farm Bureau and the WV Surface Owners’ Rights Organization (WV-SORO) to give presentations at an educational meeting on oil & gas leasing in Elkins on Friday, August 1. The meeting will begin at 6:30PM at the American Legion. A lawyer and an experienced mineral owner/well operator will make presentations, with a question and answer period to follow.

The meeting will focus on oil & gas leasing for those who are considering leasing their minerals and want to know about the limited protections they will have if they do not get them in the lease. The leasing presentations will provide mineral owners with information on bad provisions in leases and discuss additional surface owner protections that landowners can insist on before signing a lease.

Senator Barnes arranged the August 1 meeting to accommodate those turned away from an earlier meeting and who are interested in leasing information. About 100 people were expected to attend the July meeting, but 400 showed up and the meeting was moved to a larger room at the American Legion. Even then, over 100 people had to be turned away, because there was not enough room to accommodate the overflow crowd. Most of those attending were citizens who had been approached by landmen and wanted advice on oil and gas leasing. This additional meeting at the American Legion will focus on leasing issues.

WV SORO is making arrangements to hold a separate meeting in the area in the near future devoted to surface owner rights for people who own the surface, but either do not own the minerals or have bad leases with few surface owner protections included. The meeting is planned for Buckhannon with date and location to be announced. An advisory will be sent to local media outlets and details will be posted at the group’s website www.wvsoro.org. The WV SORO website has many resources for both surface and mineral owners for those who are unable to attend the meeting(s).

Meeting Details:
What: Informational meeting on Oil & Gas Leasing
When: Friday, August 1, 2008 at 6:30PM
Where: American Legion Post 29, 326 Railroad Ave, Elkins, WV

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