Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by P.G. on August 25, 2008 at 3:14

I can see how including this in the lease would be a good idea as it would spell out exactly what would be done in such a circumstance but again I don't see how it would be necessary to have a clause to be protected. I mean if you don't have a clause that says the O&G companies can't shoot your livestock, would that mean that since there is no clause saying they can't, they can?

I'm sure the O&G could argue they have as much right to water as anyone and I've never seen a regulation that limits the amount a landowner can consume. But can someone buy a property on a river and divert all of the water for his own use and cut off all properties down stream?
Other than O&G being a water hog, is there a statute that deals with this?

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Permalink Reply by P.G. on August 25, 2008 at 3:47

Well say you wanted to drill a water well and received all the necessary permits, (you done everything legal), is there a law that limits how much water you are entitled to?
And as far as minerals go, there's regulations in place to compensate adjacent land owners for minerals (such as gas and oil) sucked out from under their land, right? Seems like there should be something that would be applicable to water, huh?

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Permalink Reply by Grice on August 25, 2008 at 3:43

"...is there a statute that deals with this?"

Yes. The Louisiana Constitution provides protection of the water in Louisiana, for both public and private use.

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Permalink Reply by Buzz Cooper on August 25, 2008 at 5:29

This explains why my water well has lost its prime 6 times in the last two months. my well is 120 feet deep and i guess they are sucking the water table down below that.

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Permalink Reply by mooncookie on August 25, 2008 at 5:57

Your concern is well founded. What are the water trading/water rights for the area? Is there any 'concession' agreements with the operators of the 4-6 wells you speak of?

Frac jobs use a serious amount of water and recylcing for ReUse is very expensive. California has stringent water regulation as well as other states where drought has already affected their economies.

Water is more important than oil and in some places, like Dubai, its more expensive. Global warming doen't help the situation any either!

Y'all think $4 gas is bad, just wait til we start fighting over water!

I found this googling your problem:
Expert: James H. McConnell, CPL
Date: 8/28/2007
Subject: illegal use of water

Question
Dear Mr. McConnell,

I am one of the owners of three wells located at NW/4, Sec. 11, Township 25N, Range 1W, in Noble County, Oklahoma. I own 0.02055664 decimal interest in all three wells drilled on this land. Range Resources LLC is the operator. We have noticed a pump & a 3" pipe coming out of a pond on our property going across our pasture & over the fence to another well site belonging to someone else. We would have been unaware of this were it not for a neighbor telling us. Another interest owner of our property called Range Resources & they offered us $150.00 per day for 7 days to use the water. Could we sue Range Resources for this action? This isn't the first time we've had problems with them. They wanted to build a road on our property so they could access another person's well & we said no & they promptly did it anyway. Who knows what they've done that we haven't caught? I guess my question is two-part: 1. Is $150/day for 7 days a fair price for the use of our water? 2. What is the best way to keep these kinds of things from happening? Thank you very much for your time.


Sounds like you aren't the only victim, they will have to answer for this eventually.

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Permalink Reply by KT on August 26, 2008 at 2:33

http://resources.cas.psu.edu/WaterResources/pdfs/gasdrilling.pdf

Found this good info about water problems in the Marcellus shale. Up there it seems the testing is done by the drilling company before SPUD and after as needed. Also problems within a certain distance are presumed to be the OG responsibility.

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Permalink Reply by Clifford H. Budd on September 9, 2008 at 11:22

Thanks very very much. It really helped me.

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Permalink Reply by Rick on August 27, 2008 at 4:26

I haven't had a chance to read all the post on this issue yet and my time is short this morning but I do have a comment. The O&G's are going to do anything that they can get by with while at the same time paying for infomercials and contributing to every needy cause around the area because they know that money spreading makes them look like good corporate citizens. However, that doen't change the need for the state and parish leaders to step up and make sure that the citizens that are paying their salaries are protected.
Something that needs to be considered in this is not just the oil companies but also local businesses and individuals that are drilling (or allowing to be drilled) wells on their private property, creating holding ponds and reservoirs and then allowing the O&G's to buy the water from them. As government oversight eventually develops, this will have to be addressed because there are more than a few people who would gladly bypass their neighborhood needs for their greed.

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Permalink Reply by sesport on August 27, 2008 at 16:52

You would think everyone in S'port would remember what happened earlier this yr. when the water supply for the entire city went ka-put. It got bad enough that we had to start going to BC to buy water, even the great Wally World couldn't keep up with demand.

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Permalink Reply by mooncookie on September 10, 2008 at 15:04

IPCC has some interesting statistics on the vast amount of people that deal with the reality of having to draw water by pail and having no sanitation whatsever...disease runs rampant....many preventable deaths...but it is all about the money and MINE over yours and everyone else.

Water shortages create a situtation of Hyenas at the watering-hole.

I consider environmental damage as an act of treason, but if you are buying the politicians...you must be patriotic.

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Permalink Reply by mooncookie on September 10, 2008 at 15:05

Your brother's keeper will one day get thirsty too...

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Permalink Reply by Ringgold Redskin on September 15, 2008 at 12:06

"(Something that needs to be considered in this is not just the oil companies but also local businesses and individuals that are drilling (or allowing to be drilled) wells on their private property, creating holding ponds and reservoirs and then allowing the O&G's to buy the water from them.)"

Anyone that lives in the area of La 172 in west Desoto/stateline road?
In Texas just across the state line are huge lined fresh water ponds/tanks being filled by water wells. Several..... and more being built in the area close to the La border. If your water level starts to fall... you will know the reason.
This will be another source for frac water.

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