| Wirt Oil, Gas Group forms
By Brett Dunlap for the newsandsentinel.com
ELIZABETH - A group of property owners in several counties has joined together to present an option for natural gas drilling and production, as well as figuring out what the industry can bring to make a fair deal.
The Wirt County Oil and Gas Group was formed in February and has brought together landowners, mineral rights holders and gas producers to formulate a workable lease option for those interested in having their property used in natural gas production, said James Lydon, one of the group's organizers.
"The goal is to develop large blocks of acreage that will be attractive to drilling companies that are developing the Marcellus Shale formation," he said. "All oil, gas and mineral owners are invited to join the group and work toward acquiring the best price and best company or companies to produce our oil, gas and hydrocarbons."
Earlier this year, Lydon was at a meeting discussing options for local residents interested in having their land used for gas production. He found someone he knew was being offered $500 an acre less than what he was being offered and felt something needed to be done to make the process more equitable for everyone involved.
He got people to join together to look at the issues involved in natural gas production, as well as landowner rights and other concerns that have come up.
Lydon has stated the group that has 50,000 acres signed up to be leased, with the possibility of several thousand more. Acreage in Wirt, Wood, Ritchie, Calhoun, Roane and Jackson counties has been committed to the group, representing 350-400 people ...
Continued at the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Wirt Oil, Gas Group Forms
| 
