 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Zero weather and all that goes with that continue to be the norm for the Creston area. The green weenie global warming crew continues to claim that cold weather is "caused by global warming" as their religion demands that they not recant, even in the face of outright fraud and chicanery perpetrated by the charlatans and echoed by those who get ill gotten taxpayer funds to fight the supposed booger man. Hardware stores have done a big business selling pipe & fittings to repair frozen water pipes.
Common core and other means to dumb down education continue to be a topic of discussion. Little Jebbie Bush the little liberal darling wanting to be the Republican nominee said Common Core was a state matter when it was and is a federal mandate pushed by the likes of domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.
The folks down under the golden dome at the Mouth of the Elk are currently discussing HB 2688 the forced pooling bill which is being promoted as a compromise between mineral and land owners and the big out of state companies that want to take the state's wealth to foreign nations and other parts of the nation. A spokesman for one of the main pushers (an out of state outfit) admitted that they were driven by unbridled greed and that was why they insisted on not paying fair lease bonuses and royalties.
The big boys pay 50% royalties to the gentlemen who have "towels wrapped around their heads" and in the lesser shales in the United States lease and modification bonuses would be in five figures and royalties would start at 25% gross. But in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio a 1/8th with expenses taken out is said to be fair. Folks should contact their favorite legislators and let their feelings be known. Some feel that the present bill would allow a theft greater than what happened circa 1900 when old John D. Rockefeller had folks sign flat rate gas leases, many of which are still in force. Until the Parker Trenton/Black River well was drilled the biggest well in Roane County was the Big Abbott which had an 8" line to take away the gas. The Abbott heirs were paid the vast sum of $50/year as royalty.
Chesapeake Energy has brought suit against its founder and former CEO Aubrey McClendon for "misappropriation of highly sensitive trade secrets" from the firm. It was noted that just after Aubrey was tossed from Chesapeake he formed American Energy Partners (AEP) and proceeded to acquire substantial acreage positions in the Utica & Marcellus shale areas of Ohio, Pennsylvania & West Virginia as well as plays in eastern Colorado. McClendon has acquired acreage in Wirt, Calhoun, Gilmer, Ritchie & Doddridge Counties in addition to counties to the north. McClendon fired back that the information he took with him was "his to take" and has set up a website setting forth his defense. For those that like to follow such things the articles, pleadings, exhibits, etc. make for interesting reading when one is housebound with icy roads, etc.
In Pennsylvania there has been a federal antitrust suit against Chesapeake Energy and some related companies stated that the companies "artificially inflated the cost of gas gathering services by eliminating competition resulting in a $5 billion windfall." The suit also alleges breach of contract the Chesapeake companies of having a specific intent of depriving plaintiffs of royalties. Some have said that similar suits should be brought in West Virginia. These same folks are presently are trying to get the West Virginia legislature to give them some really sweet deals. Not so long back Pennsylvania property owners were hoo dooed by their legislature and the ex governor of that state which is why he was "retired."
The Big Eared One has now decided to ban some of the most popular ammunition on the market so that law abiding citizens will not be able to protect themselves from the outlaws, and soon terrorists, that would do us harm.
It is reported that the bill to fix little boy Unger's tank bill is slowly moving through the legislature. One would hope that is passes soon and becomes retroactive.
Local Christians are dismayed that no one seems upset that there is genocide of Christians going on in the middle east and the new federal government approach is to fight with hashtags. It seems that the power behind the throne in the white house, Valerie Jarrett, intends to get a deal with Iran and presently the mullahs have been given 80% of what they want. Apparently all that is needed is America's written consent to eradicate Israel with or without nuclear bombs. Some should be looking at what is written in The Book. Now it was learned that the Iranians were & are working with Al Queda.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude is $48.76/bbl. with Appalachian light sweet (drip gas) fetching $24.76, Marcellus & Utica light $42.76 and medium $48.76/bbl.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hur Herald. | 
