Sweat Law Offices Protects Landowners’ Natural Gas and Mineral Rights
Marcellus Shale has large amounts of untapped natural gas reserves that are being extracted from thousands of properties in and around western Pennsylvania. It’s believed that the supply from this shale formation could last as long as 40 years. With Shell Oil now constructing an ethane cracker plant in the region that will use the oil and gas extracted from Marcellus Shale, many homeowners and landowners are being contacted about leasing their land in order for companies to extract the natural gas they need to produce items or develop and continue energy programs.
Sweat Law Offices Provides Legal Guidance for Landowners’ Oil and Gas Leases
If you’ve been contacted by a company to lease your property for natural gas drilling, here are the things that you must know before you beginning the process:
-
Gary Sweat – Managing Partner
You deserve to negotiate the best deal. Brokers often open negotiations with property owners with numbers that seem reasonable – even quite generous – which entices many to sign a contract right away. However, their opening deal is by far not their best deal for you – it’s not even close. This kind of negotiating should be done with the help of professionals so that you’ll receive the best terms on development and production issues, royalty rates, and lease terms.
- You must protect your land and royalty rights. Your rights and your land must be protected. Many of the people who are approached by energy companies or sub contractors have a lot acres devoted to a particular use, such as farming or production. Sweat Law Offices knows how important it is to protect both your surface and sub-surface so that you’ll continue to use your land for generations to come.
- You deserve a favorable royalty rate. As a mineral rights owner, you want to be sure that you’re receiving the correct amount of royalty payments, because even a small miscalculation or mismeasurement could mean that you’re receiving thousands less than you should be. Sweat Law Offices can conduct oil and gas royalty audits, plus settle royalty disputes, and also engage in litigation to ensure you are getting the royalties your contract promised.
It’s critical that landowners who are approached by energy companies to lease their land first talk to professionals like Sweat Law Offices who have more than 50 years of experience with oil and gas lease contracts. Many western Pennsylvania landowners aren’t aware of what is entailed when these leases are created, negotiated, and reviewed. Sweat Law Offices has been serving southwestern Pennsylvania communities and specializes in gas and oil leasing. Call them before you sign any contract allowing someone to drill on your property. Know your rights, and protect your property while collecting royalties.