Oil and Gas Disputes in Ohio
The Ohio Supreme Court is reviewing a recent decision awarding damages of over $40,000,000 to an Ohio landowner who entered into a mineral lease agreement with an oil and gas company.
Was your parcel of land included in a proposed class action lawsuit? If so, you may have entered into a mineral lease agreement with Rice, Gulfport, or a similar company to produce oil and gas from the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale formations on your property. Your lease may have reserved your rights to all products contained in all other formations, including all formations below the base of the Utica Shale.
Rather than following the terms of the lease agreement, the court found that these companies had drilled into and produced oil and gas from the Point Pleasant formation which is the producing reservoir that underlies the Utica Shale.
If you have a mineral lease agreement with an oil and gas company in Ohio, contact us for a FREE Consultation by calling 504-523-2434 or by filling out an online contact form.
Oil and Gas Disputes in Ohio | Why File a Mineral Rights Lawsuit
Oil and gas exploration and production is a high-stakes business that often involves complex contracts among many parties, including landowners and drilling companies. When things do not go as planned, disputes often arise over the terms of leases and liability for damages.
In Ohio, an oil and gas company has trespassed if it produces oil and gas minerals owned by another without an agreement with the owner (typically through an oil and gas lease agreement) or an order from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management (“DOGRM”).
Rice, Gulfport, or another company may have engaged in similar misconduct in violation of your mineral lease agreement and without an order from DOGRM. You may be owed the total market value of the oil and gas unlawfully taken and other damages.
In March 2023, a Columbus federal judge issued an order denying class action status that was sought by the lawyers who filed the class action; so, any claims at this point must be pursued individually.
Mineral Rights Lawsuit | Free Consultation
The attorneys with the Ohio law firms of Peiffer Wolf and Meyer Wilson are working to represent individual landowners and mineral lease holders. If you have a mineral lease agreement with an oil and gas company, contact us for a FREE Consultation by calling 504-523-2434 or by filling out an online contact form.
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