Skip to Main Content
Services Talent Knowledge
Site Search
Menu

Blog Post

January 6, 2014

Court Rejects Landowners' Attempts to Deny EQT Access to Conduct Seismic Testing

We previously reported that back on July 22, 2013, EQT Production Company (EQT) sued dozens of its Pennsylvania lessors residing in Allegheny County alleging the right to pool leases under recent amendments to the Oil and Gas Lease Act of 1979 (Senate Bill 259) which explicitly allows operators to pool contiguous leases using horizontal drilling unless prohibited by a lease.   The lawsuit also alleged that the lessors had improperly impeded the company from accessing their property to perform seismic testing and, just last week, a Pennsylvania state court agreed.

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Christine Ward ordered that, as soon as EQT pays a $25,000 bond, the lessors are enjoined from interfering with EQT’s reasonable ingress, egress and access to and use of the 16 properties subject to the litigation for purposes of performing seismic testing.

The judge’s order was issued without a memorandum decision but one is expected to follow.  The case is EQT Production Company v. Opatkiewicz, et al (Case No. GD-13-013489).

Featured Media

Alerts

Supreme Court Declines to Clarify Impact of Uninjured Class Members on Class Certification—For Now

Alerts

EPA Issues Memorandum Reminding States and Tribes of Their Limited Authority Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act

Alerts

Non-Judicial Collateral Remedies, Part 2 – Sale of Collateral

Alerts

NYS Court of Appeals Applies the Assumption of Risk Doctrine to One Golf Course Injury but Not Another

Alerts

Bankruptcy Avoidance Actions, Part 2 – Fraudulent Transfers

Alerts

NYS Court of Appeals: CVA Plaintiff Must Prove Notice of Abuse Applying Then-Prevailing Standards in Decades-Old Sexual Abuse Case