Hughesville to host gas drilling open house for region’s property owners

By DAVID THOMPSON - dthompson@sungazette.com
Potentially huge natural gas reserves, new drilling technology and large amounts of privately owned property are among the reasons why energy companies are interested in drilling for natural gas in Lycoming County and the surrounding region.

An open house and workshop will be held from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Hughesville Fire Co. social hall so local landowners can meet with companies that may be interested in leasing their property.

Consultants knowledgeable about gas drilling issues also will be on hand.

The open house will be from 5 to 7 p.m. The workshop, titled “Understanding and Negotiating Natural Gas Leases,” will be held immediately following the open house.

The workshop, which will last until about 9 p.m., will be followed by a question and answer period.

The event is open to the public. No reservations are needed, though the Penn State Cooperative Extension at Lycoming County recommends calling the extension office in advance to register.

Sponsoring the event are natural gas companies interested in leasing property and drilling in Lycoming County and other counties in the region, educator Thomas Murphy said.

The companies include Range Resources Inc., Chief Oil and Gas Co. LLC, Chesapeake Energy Co. Inc., Epsilon Energy USA Inc., and Western Land Services Inc.

Also on hand will be representatives of the state Department of Environmental Protection and Dawson Geophysical Co., a seismic company.

Local attorney Lester “Bud” Greevy will offer legal advice on negotiating a gas lease, and two leasing consultants, Jackie Root of Tioga County and Bill Capouillez of Mifflin County, will discuss negotiating a gas lease from a landowner’s point of view.

The idea behind the open house and workshop was to provide a one-stop shop for landowners with questions about gas leasing and drilling, Murphy said.

The event also will give landowners and opportunity to speak directly to the companies competing to lease their property, he said.

“People have a lot of questions that they would like to have a place to go to have them answered,” Murphy said. “We’re trying to provide those answers in one place.”

Gas drilling already has begun in Lycoming County, Murphy said. He expects a dozen or more wells to be drilled in the county this year.

“I anticipate a surge in activity over the next few years,” he said. “Several companies have multi-million dollar budgets allocated to drilling in the county.”

Landowners have a chance to cash in on that activity through gas leases and royalties that are becoming more and more lucrative, Murphy said.

Businesses such as restaurants and hotels will benefit from the activity by supplying food and lodging to the skilled workers who come to the area to work at the drilling sites.

Contractors will be put to work clearing land and installing infrastructure such as roads and water lines at drilling sites, Murphy said.

“A lot of money is going to be spent on the local economy,” he said.

To register for the event, or for more information, call the extension office at 433-3040.