Oil & Gas Law

Our firm provides counsel to landowners approached by oil and gas companies seeking to lease mineral rights. Mineral rights include the right to drill and produce oil and gas from the property’s resources.

The owner of a property generally owns both the surface and sub-surface mineral rights. Before agreeing to sell those rights, our Oil and Gas Law Attorneys recommend obtaining legal counsel. An oil and gas Lawyer will review your rights under a proposed lease agreement and advise you on the fair use of those natural resources. Your mineral rights attorney can also negotiate on behalf of the landowner or provide guidance depending on your comfort level. Our oil and gas lawyers have a proven record of obtaining favorable lease terms from oil and gas companies.

Fair lease terms include protections for landowners and competitive payment agreements. While our lawyers are familiar with the oil and gas leasing process, we encourage landowners to conduct their research to be informed participants in the leasing process. We welcome any questions you might have and work to ensure that our clients are comfortable with the final agreement. It is important to do your due diligence before entering into any contract.

In recent years, oil and gas industry activity in Ohio has increased as developing technology now permits drilling in the Utica and Marcellus shales.

These are deeper shale formations found at depths of up to 9000 feet. These formations are significant due to their natural gas production, natural gas liquids, and crude oil. The potential resources located in this formation are estimated to be 38 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 940 million barrels of oil. The Utica and Marcellus shale formation covers a substantial portion of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Quebec, and Virginia. Until recently, oil and gas companies did not extensively develop the Utica shale formation due to the depth required to reach the deposit and ineffective extraction techniques. However, with hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling development, this deposit became a viable resource for oil and gas companies.

Third-party companies in the Central Ohio area have been making offers for leases with $50 to $100 for the per acre up-front bonus payment. They are also offering comparatively high royalty payments compared to what has been provided by major oil companies in other Ohio counties. These favorable financial conditions mean you get to see more profit from the lease.

In addition to negotiating favorable financial terms, our firm reviews the burdens placed on leased property. Before signing a lease, we ensure that landowners know the potential limitations on surface use and potential environmental impacts.

Our law firm has a proven track record of negotiating and concluding oil and gas leases for landowners in multiple counties throughout Ohio. We have successfully represented property owners in litigation to enforce landowner rights under oils and gas leases. Additionally, our firm has successfully litigated easement issues against oil and gas companies on behalf of landowners, including litigation over the Rockies Express Gas Transmission pipeline and the Marathon Ashland Petroleum refined products pipeline.

Will an oil and gas law attorney travel to me, or do I need to come to your offices in either Lancaster or Canal Winchester?

While some meetings will need to occur in our offices, we try to minimize your travel time. We offer two convenient office locations in Lancaster and Canal Winchester, Ohio. Our goal is to reduce the disruption to your life caused by legal issues and conduct most communications or meetings through emails or phone calls. However, we realize that clients can’t reach us in certain circumstances, and we may be required to visit your location. For example, suppose you retain a Dagger Law attorney to represent you. In that case, they will travel to the necessary court hearings and legal procedures to represent you anywhere in Ohio! Please note that in some instances, the cost to represent your case may require an unusual amount of money due to travel expenses. In such cases, we may recommend using legal representation closer to the location of your case. We are happy to provide referrals in these instances if we are able.

We proudly serve the following communities throughout Central and Southeastern Ohio:

  • Fairfield County
  • Franklin County
  • Hocking County
  • Licking County
  • Pickaway County
  • Baltimore, Ohio
  • Buckeye Lake
  • Canal Winchester
  • Circleville
  • Greater Columbus Area
  • Lancaster, Ohio
  • Logan
  • Newark, Ohio
  • other locations nearby

Check out the nearest location to you by clicking our Locations Page.

Should you have questions regarding an existing oil and gas lease that encumbers your property, we will be happy to help answer your questions. In addition, suppose an oil & gas company, landman, or third party approaches you to inquire about entering into an oil and gas lease. If you are unsure whether you are getting a fair offer, we invite you to contact our office for guidance.

Contact one of these Oil and Gas Law attorneys for assistance.