PlusPa. Farmers Hope for Natural Gas WindfallPa. Farmers Hope for Natural Gas WindfallThe Associated PressFarmers in Northeast Pennsylvania are leasing their land to natural gas companies and hoping for a multi-million dollar windfall. (July 14)((Susquehanna County, PA)) NATS: cow noises It may look like an ordinary Pennsylvania farm - but what lies beneath appears to be worth millions of dollars. NATS: rooster Before she realized the REAL cash cow on her farm, Elizabeth Downey put the land up for sale, needing money to keep the family afloat. ((Elizabeth Downey, Farm Owner)) "We needed the money to help raise this child." But in what has become an everyday occurrence here, a better offer came her way. NATS: natural gas well being drilled She leased her property to a natural gas company, and stands to make millions of dollars over the next several years in royalties. NATS: rooster crowing. There's a land rush underway here. Just over two years ago "land men," many from Texas; started leasing mineral rights from landowners here for as little as two dollars an acre. Now, the going rate has skyrocketed to 2 thousand, 500 dollars an acre, for a five year lease. ((Tom Murphy, Penn State University)) "You have whole communities that have essentially won the lottery, because of these lease payments." Tom Murphy is an agriculturalist from nearby Penn State University. "This is a huge mineral resource that's coming to market at a time the market is asking for more and more gas. There is really no land for sale any more. In about the last six to eight months any land that came to the marketplace has disappeared." The source of the fuel, and thus the wealth, is a 300-million year old land formation called the Marcellus Shale that stretches from West Virginia to upstate New York. ((Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press)) ((Susquehanna County, PA)) "Geologists have known for more than a century that the thick, hard shale here contains lots of natural gas. "But it wasn't until now that it made economic sense to go deep underground and unlock it in large quantities. "New drilling technologies and rising fuel costs have changed all that. "But here in Northwestern Pennsylvania, the natural gas market is purely speculative. "Not even one cubic foot has been extracted and brought to market. Yet." NATS: tractor Ted Barbour stands to make 15 percent of all the natural gas mined from his family farm - if it produces. "Hope changes a lot of things, and there's a lot of hope here this is going to be a big thing. But that's tempered with the fact they haven't put a pipeline in yet." Gas companies and others have plans to build a pipeline from these farmland wells into the huge markets of New York City, Philadelphia and other densely populated areas in the northeast - by the end of this year. Lester Greevy and Dale Tice are attorneys who broker deals between land owners and oil companies - and business is good. ((Lester Greevy, Lawyer)) "Just the energy crunch created a perfect storm." ((Dale Tice, Lawyer)) "Who knows how high the prices are going to go? A lot of certainty and a lot of excitement right now." Geologists speculate some of these prospect wells may produce up to three million cubic feet a day of natural gas. Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
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@knittycakebaker Amen! Farmers are also "Stewards" of the land. They are capeable of making the decission on their own. No need for "city folk" to "Muck it all up"! Besides, who do you think owns the land your drinking water comes from? It is our decission what to do with it. Ours alone!
69cowboypa 1 year ago
You know, they don't really need refineries like they do with oil for natural gas. It really just needs minimal processing for it to be useful.
knittycakebaker 2 years ago
Maybe you should research modern drilling instead of your archaic impression of what you think it is.
Oh, yeah and if it wasn't for farmers ya'll couldn't have milk on your granola oh yeah, farmers grow the grains for your damn granola.Dang, I forgot ya'll don't drink milk but that soy crap. Oh wait, farmers grow soybeans. Whoda thunk!
What a concept. Farmers growing food. Wow.
As for the oilfield, it ain't what it used to be, thank God!!
knittycakebaker 2 years ago
Very insightful.
CleanWaterActionPA 2 years ago
everyone who does not want them to drill , does not own any land , if they did and they need the money they would, why don't u people pay my taxes and my mortage for me , then i will not lease my land till then , shut the f up . i need pay my bills.
JAMAX99 3 years ago
Get a grip folks. Natural gas is the answer we need right now. It's here, it's ours, it's plentiful. it's clean, and it's cheap. Many would benefit from this. Better we take advantage of this than keep printing money!
mmsun44 3 years ago
Research it!
Find a better way!
ThatNeilDude 3 years ago
what lies beneath????
bartmanxoxo 3 years ago
what about coal mines that have been around for over 100 years. and pa still looks beutiful so shut the fuck up
gaurd5002 3 years ago
We need all the farmers we can get right now..Stop being such unappreciative asses....Give a little respect to Blue-Collar workers....I'm sure you're happy at your little desks...Eating processed food and supporting big business....
countrygurl1002 3 years ago