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Permalink Reply by Lerret on October 15, 2008 at 12:41

Most states have the law of capture, meaning the gas is free to go wherever it wants. The purpose of spacing is to give people equal access to their own gas. In the case of shale gases, the "draining" of a reservior is difficult because of the tightness of the rocks. In a conventional reservior, it is also difficult to predict simply because these formations are not homogeneous. Thus pockets of gas or oil many remain untouched near a borehole while that borehole may deplete the pressure and liquids far off site.

It is simply not possible to tell except in the most agregious cases. But overall, there is no benefit to withholding your property from development, and if you are held by a party by lease and think someone else is draining you (or that your leaseholder is for that matter), then your recourse is to demand they either drill or drop the lease and let you lease to someone who will drill.

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Permalink Reply by mary on October 15, 2008 at 13:20

I have read that, because of the tight formationin of shale gas, draining is not a problem. Do you have some information on this topic that you could share?

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Permalink Reply by Aubrey C. Sanders, Jr. on October 15, 2008 at 17:16

There is always some empirical setback distance set by Office of Conservation regarding how close a well can be drilled to unit line. and how close a well can be drilled to another well producing from same formation. For example, in the Smackover formation requires that no well can be drilled less than 330 feet from unit line or less than 1500 feet from any existing well completed in this formation. Does this prevent drainage? SOMETIMES, not always. And, sometimes, in many cases, Conservation Dept. will grant approval for exceptional locations. If you prove drainage you may force your lessor to drill to protect you from drainage.

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Permalink Reply by nisie, not a happy camper landowner on October 16, 2008 at 4:44

Thanks for the response. Chesapeake just pulled out of neg after a year with a large landowner in our section.
All other sections surrounding us either have wells or permits for wells.

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Permalink Reply by nisie, not a happy camper landowner on October 16, 2008 at 4:58

26/16N/16W

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Permalink Reply by nisie, not a happy camper landowner on October 16, 2008 at 5:12

I believe it was taken off the table.

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