I received copy of an Application for Horizontal Drilling Unit filed with the OCC by Gastar Exploration, Inc. for Sec 35-14N-5W. There's a long list of Respondent's. This is the first I've heard of their interest and had to do some quick reading about horizontal drilling and learned a lot from messages. Hearing set for Nov 25, 2014 at OCC.
Questions: Is it normal procedure for the company to file the application, before contacting mineral owners? Anyone else get this in the Canadian County group? Advice?
They filed on 13n5w last year and we haven't heard anything from them yet. We haven't leased either. If they do decide to drill you will get a pooling order and have to quickly decide which choice if you haven't leased. I understand pooling is not such a bad thing, though. They cover this by publishing app in the paper if they can't find you.
Thanks for your reply LCP. Does anyone else know if the company first offers a lease, and then does pooling? There may be advantages to pooling under some circumstances, but instinctively it bothers me, which doesn't mean I'm right. With a lease, at least we have some negotiation room.
LCP said:
They filed on 13n5w last year and we haven't heard anything from them yet. We haven't leased either. If they do decide to drill you will get a pooling order and have to quickly decide which choice if you haven't leased. I understand pooling is not such a bad thing, though. They cover this by publishing app in the paper if they can't find you.