| By Bob Weaver
Royalty and landowner rights have become a hot issue in the Mountain State as the large developments are rapidly moving ahead with drilling for natural gas.
A new organization, the West Virginia Surface Owners Rights Organization, has been formed to protect landowners from abuses they say oil and natural gas drillers heap upon them.
One of the group's organizers, Gary Zuckett, says the companies come onto the owner's land and set up rigs within weeks of getting permits approved, giving the owners little time to examine their rights.
"The playing field is tilted about as far as it can go in favor of the drillers," Zuckett said.
One issue is the "quick and dirty" wide-access roads leading to well sites, destroying woodlots, pasture, and building sites, often creating erosion with little reclamation.
Landowners still have to pay taxes on the wide swathe.
"Drilling permits in West Virginia have skyrocketed from 900 per year to over 3,000, so we're hearing from furious landowners who believe they've been run over," said Dave McMahon, a public interest lawyer who helped to form WV-SORO.
The group is currently having a membership drive with the goal of recruiting people before the start of the regular session of the Legislature in January.
The WV-SORO believes the state's oversight of the oil and natural gas industry is understaffed, saying the state's Division of Oil and Gas has about 14 inspectors to handle 45,000 active wells.
Pressure is on the WV Legislature to support the gas producers when the session begins in a few weeks.
Gov. Joe Manchin is favoring the gas corporations, having made promises to them.
A class action lawsuit went to trial in Roane County, accusing some companies of gypping royalty holders our of millions of dollars. The jury awarded a $404.3 million verdict against the natural gas outfits.
The outfits began charging production costs against the royalty owners holdings. In West Virginia, one-eighth interest has been held by the royalty holder.
The industry is also trying to change the rules about how closely wells can be drilled.
See West Virginia Surface Owners Rights Organization | 
