Corbett Signs Controversial Bill Giving Drillers Power To Pool Leases

Marie Cusick Bio Recent Stories As the Harrisburg reporter for StateImpact Pennsylvania, Marie Cusick covers energy and environmental issues for public radio stations statewide. She’s also part of NPR’s energy and environment team, which coordinates coverage between the network and select member station reporters around the country. Her work frequently airs on NPR shows including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Since 2012, Marie has closely followed the political, social, environmental, and economic effects of Pennsylvania’s natural gas boom. Her work has been recognized at the regional and national levels– honors include a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and a national Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Previously, Marie was a multimedia reporter for WMHT in Albany, New York and covered technology for the station’s statewide public affairs TV show, New York NOW. In 2018, she became StateImpact’s first FAA-licensed drone pilot.

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“This pooling language had no place in this bill,” NARO-PA vice president Trevor Walczak wrote in an email, “If you wanted to address pooling, we should have been doing it in a stand alone bill we could debate, not hiding it in here and fast-tracking it through.”

Governor Corbett signed a controversial bill into law today, giving drillers the power to combine or “pool” leases for horizontal oil and gas drilling. The legislation was originally promoted as an effort to bring more transparency to the deductions companies take out of royalty payments. Complaints over those deductions lead to a recent Senate hearing on the issue An organization representing Pennsylvania’s mineral owners was angered over language added later on, which allows pooling of some leases. They complained the measure sailed through the state legislature during budget negotiations and didn’t receive enough scrutiny.“We are not pleased.” says Jackie Root, president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO-PA). “It is so vaguely written and so broad.”The organization has argued the measure could adversely impact some people who signed contracts years ago and didn’t anticipate modern shale gas drilling. They say it leaves landowners at a disadvantage– hindering their ability to renegotiate old leases.

Governor Corbett has said publicly he would not sign any legislation that allows “forced pooling” –which would give drillers the right to take gas from a property owner who has not signed a lease.

This bill only applies to existing leases. It allows companies to combine land parcels for horizontal drilling, unless it’s explicitly prohibited in the lease.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R- Bradford) introduced the bill. He doesn’t feel the measure is unfair to landowners.

“Remember, this land is already leased,” he told StateImpact Pennsylvania recently, “It just seems to be logical that if you can go on the land and drill horizontal wells out, [then] you could drill horizontal wells under it.”

Rep. Garth Everett (R- Lycoming) who sponsored the controversial amendment was quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review last week saying he wasn’t sure where the idea came from.

Corbett issued a statement today acknowledging the concerns over the bill. However, he contends the language will enhance the efficient extraction of oil and gas, while protecting the rights of landowners.

“I do not believe anything in Senate Bill 259 expands the ability of an oil or gas operator to define the size of a drilling unit, or to expand the ability of an operator to hold by production any parcels of leased land.”

You can read the governor’s full statement below:



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