Free gas in WVA

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Hi All:

I just got wind of 12 acres down in WVA. with "free gas" I checked with the realtor and all I was told so far, was that it meant that one could have free natural gas for one dwelling (forever??). Has anyone knowledge or experience with this. I could live "pretty high on the hog" with free heat, cooking, frig, dryer, hot water and lights. I may take a flying trip down there (15 hours), next week since I am on Easter vacation. I welcome any comments.

Layne

-- Elaine Cosgrove (adirondackwoman@westelcom.com), April 15, 2000

Answers

I've never known anyone personally that had that set up, but have heard second hand. I know there are places like that in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. It would be a pretty good deal. Here you can set up generators on it too, although it would cost a good bit up front. You could have greenhouses, which is something I have always wanted but could never afford the heat for. I'd say it's worth consideration. You need to decide what you want to do with land, like growing a garden, orchard, and call the realtor back with specific questions about how the land lays. Is it swampy? Is it straight up and down a hill? Even if it is hilly land, you might still be able to grow all the vegetables you would need. Orchards can grow on a hill side. How about water? Community water? Well in place? A piece of ground that will fit your basic desires and that has free natural gas would be a real treasure. Good luck.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), April 15, 2000.

I am in WV and have free gas. We don't own the mineral rights to our land, the majority don't since the mines bought them up in the 30's. But as surface owners we negotiated free gas when a well was dug in the early 90's. Check with the owners to be sure free use is transferrable to you, the new owners. Sometimes they meter how much you use. Our contract says we get so much a year (a really large amount) but they haven't ever metered it. There is no guarantee with free gas that it will last forever. If the well empties, you're just out of luck. If they decide to close the commercial part of the gas well, you are still allowed to keep your connection. We had to pay for the professional installation of the gas pipe to the house, and the requisite safety features. Is yours already piped?

Free gas is a good thing, but remember, you can't call the gas company if there are problems. And the well tenders are not responsible for the quality/ care of your pipeline. If there is moisture in the gas, you could have a freeze. You will learn how to repair this if you ask questions of your well tender. The "repair" is a simple adjustment of a diaphragm-like thing that is usually near the house---can't think of the name of that gizmo this morning!

If a freeze occurs at the well itself, they don't care unless you can tell them THEY aren't getting gas either. So, you should think of a backup plan. Some keep minimal gas hookup w/a power company. We chose not to do that. We have an alternate heat source for that possibility.

Ask about land use right of ways for the gas company too. We wouldn't let them put a permanent gravel road in, and we make them walk up to it (no 4-wheelers) unless there is a need for heavy machinery there. Also ask about how close you can put outbuildings to the well. This may be important for you. The state offers a surface owners handbook. Ask for a copy.

Post any further questions and I'll try to help.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch10@hotmail.com), April 15, 2000.

To find out what you have availble you will need to look at the original oil and gas lease.

I have owned land in Kansas and have granted oil and gas leases to oil companies. A standardized, Form 88, Oil and Gas Lease that is typically used in Kansas states: "the lessor to have gas free of charge from any gas well on the leased premises for stoves and inside lights in the principal dwelling house on said land by making his own connections with the well" etc. I have always modified the uses section on all leases that I have granted. I always include outside lighting and gas use for one structure in addition to the primary dwelling, also as to the uses inside of the primary dwelling. While it was a rarity in the area that I lived in to have any gas production from an oil well, I still wanted to cover my bases.

My brother bought property in Western Kansas that has free use of natural gas. The property has a primary home, a rental trailer, and a garage apartment that I believe are all on free usage.

I read last year of a buy-out taking place where oil companies are buying back these rights of free fuel, for rather high amounts to get around safety issues. Looking at the long term however, the free fuel would probably be worth more than the amounts offered.

-- greenbeanman (greenbeanman@ourtownusa.net), April 15, 2000.

We have free gas here on our farm, but we own the well. We have a farm with the situation that you speak of. That one has free gas for the home owner. We consider the free gas to be priceless. You have a glitch from time to time, like the gas will frost off when you least expect it. You learn what you need to do and where you need to wrap insulation on the line or where it comes out of the well or at the regulator.

Ask to see the well and know how far it is from the house. That will give you an idea of how much line you will be responsible for that is coming to the house. A good friend of ours showed us his "well". He said "See it is right here in the front yard." We had to tell him that was the regulator. He had never seen his well. It was over a thousand feet from the house. Make sure you understand what you are seeing.

You can get some surprises, like when the well owner on our farm told us they were selling our well. We didn't want it to get away from us, so we had to hustle around and come up with the money to buy it. If it sold, we would probably still have our free gas, but you never know how the new owner will be in honoring comittments.

A company can decide to plug a well that isn't making them any money. That can happen any time. That's another case where you would have to hustle to buy it and prevent that.

We were glad to own ours. They wanted to sell it right away, so we were able to buy it for $6000. Now we can use the gas any way we want because it is ours. If you have only the land owners free gas, they will not go for a big greenhouse being run off of it or anything that looks commercial.

If I were looking at that property, I would ask if I also get the land owners 1/8 royalty of the gas check if it sells gas and if they are not selling any gas, I would look up the well owner and see if I could buy the well.

-- homestead2 (homestead@monreocty.net), April 15, 2000.

Wow! What a gift. I don't know much about the legalities etc. but if I was in that situation I'd be looking real hard at cogeneration. You'd be able to run a water cooled generator 24/7, for at least the amount of electricity you need and have loads of waste heat for space heating. Depending on the amount of gas you have available, you might even have enough surplus electricity to sell back to the power company, a cash cow in your back yard. Very cool!

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), April 15, 2000.

-- (noneofyour@biz.com), July 13, 2001