Natural Gas in Marcellus and Davonian Shale in Appalachian Basin
For new residents of Northeast Ohio, one of the lesser known facts about the region might be its association with its oil and natural gas wells. The State of Ohio has about 274,733 wells yielding 1.126 billion barrels of crude oil and more than 8.35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Research completed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources’s Divisions of Mineral Resources Management and Geological Survey indicates that Ohio has significant remaining producible oil and natural gas reserves.
The subject of natural gas well drilling has been controversial and contentious in the Northeast Ohio region. Like in any multi-faceted and complex issue, there are proponents and opponents. One side is concerned about the proximity of the drilling area to residential properties, pollution, decrease in property value etc. The other side contends that the drilling is done in a safe and considerate manner etc. Current lower gas prices, livelihood, dilution of home rule and royalties received by mineral rights owners from oil and gas wells form key components of this equation.
Citizens who relocate to Northeast Ohio area from those states which do not have a prominent oil and gas industry and plan on buying a home may not become fully aware of this inconspicuous facet of the area.
- Fee simple is the most basic and unconstrained type of land ownership. The owner controls the surface, the subsurface and the air above the land. Mineral rights is the privilege held by a person or business of exploring and making moolah from the sale of minerals (oil, gas, and other resources) found on the surface or below land. Mineral rights can be sold or leased separately from the land ownership. Prospective home buyers should do due diligence to find who owns the mineral rights for the parcel. Caveat Emptor.
- Prospective home buyers should note that the Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form does have a disclosure related to wells. However, the form also indicates that home owners do not make any representations about offsite conditions which a home owner may interpret to mean that he/she does not have to make any representations about wells located outside the parcel boundaries, even if this matter is actually known. So, Buyer Beware applies and the form appropriately encourages a professional home inspection. However, an oil and gas well location study is probably outside the scope of a typical professional home inspection.
Ohio Geological Survey Emergency Oil and Natural Gas Well Locator
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management has established a Emergency Oil and Natural Gas Locator where information about well locations can be found.
States ranked by drilled oil and natural gas wells
Texas
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania and
Ohio
Some Cuyahoga County Communities with oil and natural gas wells
Gates Mills
Broadview Heights
North Royalton
Independence
Brecksville
Some Geauga County Communities with oil and natural gas wells
Chester Township
Munson Township
Russell Township
Some Lake County Communities with oil and natural gas wells
Kirtland
Concord Township
Willoughby
Madison Township
Reference: Water Resources and Natural Gas Production from the Marcellus Shale by Daniel Soeder and William Kappel, US Department of Interior, US Geological Survey and the Plain Dealer.
How close to homes is the drilling for oil and natural gas allowed in OH/
100 feet
The property disclosure form does not cover all areas needed. Often in Ohio, previous owners have retained or leased the mineral rights. In Ohio, this can mean that a well can be put even closer than 100 feet to your home through the use of directional drilling.
It is important to find out who owns the mineral rights to the property.
The well needs to be 100 feet from any building or object on the land (fence is exempt). However the actual drilling of a well takes up quite a bit more space, and tends to make a mess of the landscape. Drillers will typically flatten the necessary area for drilling, and will not backfill.
We dont own our mineral rights. we have a farm. can the drilling company to what they want on the surface like run telephone poles to get the electric to their wells and i was told marcellus is not included in old mineral rights deeds is that true???