Tag: West Virginia Department of Commerce

W.Va., Noble Negotiating Deal for Drilling Under Ohio River

  West Virginia is negotiating a lease with Noble Energy for oil and gas drilling under the Ohio River.

Department of Commerce spokeswoman Chelsea Ruby tells The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register that Noble submitted the highest bid to lease a 1,400-acre state-owned tract under the river.

Ruby says Noble has agreed to pay $3,500 per acre to lease the land. She didn’t say what percentage of production royalties Noble will pay the state.

Noble spokeswoman Stacey Brodak declined comment on the deal because it hasn’t been finalized.

The state earlier leased 232 acres under the river to Gastar Exploration for drilling. Both tracts are in Marshall County.

Leasing state land for a drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking, is a new venture for West Virginia.

W.Va. to Open Bids on Wildlife Land Fracking

  

West Virginia officials are unveiling offers to frack under wildlife conservation land in Tyler County.

On Friday in Charleston, the state Department of Commerce will publicly open bids for oil and natural gas rights under Conaway Run Wildlife Management Area.

The bid deadline on the 518 acres was Thursday. A 20-percent royalty on what’s extracted is required.

It’s the second major state land West Virginia has opened for fracking. The state took bids for 22 miles under the Ohio River in northern West Virginia, including six miles under contract negotiations. Another 11 miles are out for bid.

Other properties being considered are 131 acres under Fish Creek in Marshall County; Jug Wildlife Management Area in Tyler County; 24 acres in Doddridge County; and seven more miles under the Ohio River.

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