Two-Thirds of Wyoming County, PA Land Now Leased, More Land being Sought by Drillers

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Nearly two-thirds of the land in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania is leased by natural gas drilling companies, and recent strong gas production from wells in the northern part of the county have sparked a competition to lease even more Wyoming County land.

The potential for rich gas strikes in the Marcellus Shale beneath Wyoming County has driven gas companies to lease more than 165,000 acres, roughly 63 percent of the county, since Oct. 19, 2006, a Times-Shamrock review of 4,110 gas leases in the county revealed. That’s more than five times the 30,000 acres leased in Luzerne County.

…the most active gas company in the county is Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, which has signed 2,714 leases totaling more than 71,400 acres, roughly 43 percent of leased land.*

Chesapeake, along with Citrus and Unit Petroleum Co did large leases with the Wyoming County Gas Group landowner’s coalition. Landowners who signed deals with one of the three drillers in 2008 received $2,850 per acre plus a 17 percent royalty from future gas production.

*Scranton Times Tribune (July 4) – Natural-gas-drilling companies eye more land in Wyoming County

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