UNIVERSITY PARK -- If you own land in northern or southwestern Pennsylvania, you already may have been approached to lease your property for natural-gas exploration.
But before you sign on the dotted line, you should gather -- and completely understand -- as much information as possible about the legal, economic and environmental implications for you and your neighbors, according to Penn State Cooperative Extension officials.
To help Pennsylvania residents make informed decisions, the Cooperative Extension is offering a free publication, "Natural Gas Exploration: A Landowner's Guide to Leasing Land in Pennsylvania." The guide complements information that has been delivered to more than 20,000 people at Extension educational workshops across the state.
The pace of gas exploration accelerated this year after joint research by Penn State and the State University of New York at Fredonia suggested that the Marcellus shale, a geologic formation that stretches across a large part of northern and western Pennsylvania and into neighboring states, may contain more than 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, at least 10 percent of which -- up to $1 trillion worth -- could be recovered with new drilling technology. And that has gas companies, landowners and rural communities scrambling to tap into this energy bonanza's potential profits.
"The flurry of activity and potential financial windfalls surrounding natural-gas reserves may be exciting for landowners, but the leasing and drilling processes can lead to a lot of confusion and may have unintended consequences," said Tom Murphy, Extension educator in Lycoming County and a member of Extension's natural-gas exploration and leasing team.
"We hope this guide will help property owners better understand the issues so they can make better decisions for their land and their families," he said.
The guide is organized into sections covering the following topics:
n Where is the gas?
n Where and how does drilling take place?
n How are landowners involved in the gas-exploration process?
n Gas-leasing process and terms
n Components of a gas lease
n Making decisions about gas leasing
n Gas-lease language
n The role of legal counsel
n Extension's role
n Gas-leasing FAQs
Free copies of the guide may be obtained through county Extension offices or by calling the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at (814) 865-6713 or e-mailing AgPubsDist@psu.edu. The publication also is available on the Web in PDF format at www.cas.psu.edu/spotlight/gasprimer08_web.pdf.
News
Landowners can tap gas-leasing handbook
Extension service publishes guide
- News
-
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
Superintendent Mark DiRocco told the Lewisburg school board Thursday night that a proposed block grant system of school budget funding will run the district short of cash that will have to be made up through personnel and program cuts.
-
Mom: Keller's response left her cold
Like many people, Elise Nicol is concerned about Marcellus Shale and the industry's effects on Pennsylvania's environment. The Lewisburg mother of two cares about it enough that she sent an email to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, asking him to oppose House Bill 1950, which passed the General Assembly on Wednesday.
-
Point Township authority concerned by sewer plant violations
Point Township Sewer Authority members Thursday night expressed concerns about a Feb. 3 letter sent to the Northumberland Sewer Authority by the state's Department of Environmental Protection saying that the borough authority has violated the Clean Streams Act.
-
Persing truck fee idea stalls
While Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing communities to collect impact fees in 35 counties, Northumberland County is not one of them, and business leaders and lawmakers do not think Sunbury Mayor David Persing's plan to try to do his own version of an impact fee will pass muster.
-
Barber draws a crowd
The talk can be spirited at times, ranging from hunting to sports to home repairs. "You hear all kinds of stories," Gene Koehler, of Riverside, said Thursday as he waited for a haircut at The Masters barbershop, 209 Mill St.
-
State board approves table games at Valley Forge casino
VALLEY FORGE — A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
-
Doctors telling more adults: Get out and exercise
ATLANTA — A new study shows more and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get off their duffs and exercise. A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.
-
Former Northumberland County judge and three others die in Florida crash
EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. -- A former Northumberland County judge was one of four people killed Wednesday afternoon when their car collided with a van at an intersection, according to the Naples News. The victims were identified as James J. Rosini, 66, William J. Rosini, 68, Patricia C. Rosini, 65, all of Coal Township, Pa., and Deborah A. Korbich, 59, of Elysburg, Pa.
-
Warden demotes four bosses
SUNBURY -- Northumberland County Prison Warden Roy Johnson was able to trim about $135,000 in expenses by demoting four supervisors. He said Wednesday that he found a way to cut costs without laying off any staff. "I cut out 120 hours of supervisors' pay each week, but I need to fill the correction officer positions," Johnson said.
-
DJ pumps up audience
Every Tuesday evening, Richard Grogg can be found spinning tunes at possibly the most well-attended dance in Snyder County. A resident at the Selinsgrove Center since 1988, the 57-year-old said the thing he likes most about selecting and playing music is "making people happy." "Some people come up and ask for requests," he said.
-
Agency closes adult center
PENNS CREEK -- Union and Snyder County caregivers have had to look farther and wider for another program that can offer respite because the Agency on Aging can no longer afford to provide the service. The adult daily living center at the Penns Creek Adult Resource Center was a helpful program each week to about eight adults from the area dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. But it closed Dec. 30.
-
New Berlin pushes to acquire school
NEW BERLIN -- The Borough Council sold the property where the New Berlin Elementary School is to the precursor of the Mifflinburg Area School District for $1 back in 1950. It was deeded to the district for construction of a school.
- More News Headlines
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
