Anyone know gas & oil well rules & regulations?

[Rat Rod Mac]

Talking to my boss today and one thing leads to another and he brings up a satellite view of his place. Could not help but notice there was a gas well real close to his property line. I ask him if the well went in after he was living there and he says yes. I said do you get free gas or any royalties and he said no. He owns seven acres and this well is "real" close to his line.
I was under the impression that a well had to be drilled at least 500' from a neighbors property line before the neighbor received and kind of compensation. At least here in N.E. Ohio I thought that was the law. So my question is this,, does my boss have any recourse as to back royalty money? He does own all the mineral rights. This well is sucking gas and oil right out from under him. He should get something I would think. Anyone understand the law in this situation? RRM

 

[herm0016]

just because a wellhead exists in a spot does not mean the production is from that spot. could be producing from a formation that is a mile away. i have not dealt with the legal side, but have 12 years in well construction and completion. you should be able to see the well name on a sign by it and look up the information about the permits and such on a state site. many also have the directional surveys and other info.

 

[sd455dan]

as above,
If you have the API # or well name a google search may get you some info

Ohio site

Ohio Oil & Gas Well Database


i agree with what was posted above , just because a well is close to your property doesn't mean anything the well could be a long reach horizontal going the "other" way

 

[Mat4644]

In Ohio much of the natural gas rights for land was sold many years ago. He would have to read the fine print on his deed to see if his has been sold. If the land is in a well known gas producing region the rights were probably sold off at least 40 to 50 years ago.

 

[dodge man]

Through my work as a surveyor I have laid out wells and filled out the forms before they were drilled. All the ones I did had to be 660 feet from the boundary. This is in Illinois so the rules mat vary by state and were for oil wells not gas.

 

[Rat Rod Mac]

Thanks for your responses. The well is not a horizontal well it's one of the vertical Clinton wells drilled twenty years ago.

 

[fishheadbob]

I would say to look at your deed and title search. In many gas and oil producing areas the mineral rights were sold off and don't go with the property. In other words you might have title to the land and house, but someone else owns the gas, oil, diamonds, or whatever is below the surface.

 

[jaydee325]

Another thing to be aware of is that if the mineral rights were previously sold off, the property also may have easements that allow the miners/drillers to build a road across the property to access the mines/wells.

This is the case with my sister in law. There is an easement with a road along one of her property lines for the driller to access wells on a land locked tract behind her property.