From Kallanish Energy News, September 9, 2016

In a symbolic gesture, one Pennsylvania township wants to end shale drilling for natural gas.

The Wilmot Township supervisors in heavily drilled Bradford County in northeast Pennsylvania took the unusual action because of local anger over shrinking royalty payments, Kallanish Energy has learned.

The township officials want drilling to be discontinued at wells where landowners are having royalty checks cut to “nothing or nearly nothing.”

Some residents are increasingly angry about the shrinking checks and the problem involves Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy and Texas-based Chief Oil and Gas, the two companies that drill in Wilmot Township, officials said.

The township is home to about 70 wells in the Marcellus Shale.

Pennsylvania state law gives landowners at least a 12.5% royalty check on production from a well. Depending on lease terms, drillers and landowners may share post-production costs incurred in moving and processing natural gas. Such costs could reduce royalty payments to landowners.

Chief Oil and Gas declined comment and Chesapeake referred inquiries to the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a Pennsylvania-based trade group, National Public Radio’s StateImpact Pennsylvania reported.

A spokeswoman at the coalition said disputes between landowners and drillers should be resolved in the courts, NPR reported.

Source: http://www.kallanishenergy.com/2016/09/09/township-pa-s-bradford-county-wants-halt-drilling-shrinking-royalty-payments/

See also: http://www.FrackCheckWV.net