West Virginia Code 22-21-16 – Notice to owners
(a) At least thirty days prior to the date set for hearing under section seventeen of this article, the applicant shall deliver by personal service or by certified mail, return receipt requested, notice to the following:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 22-21-16
- Chief: means the chief of the office of oil and gas of the Division of Environmental Protection provided for in section eight, article one of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- Coal operator: means any person who proposes to or does operate a coal mine. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- Coal owner: means any person who owns or leases a coal seam. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- coal seam: means a seam of coal, whether workable or unworkable, and the noncoal roof and floor of said seam of coal. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- Coalbed methane: means gas which can be produced from a coal seam, the rock or other strata in communication with a coal seam, a mined-out area or a gob well. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- Coalbed methane well: means any hole or well sunk, drilled, bored or dug into the earth for the production of coalbed methane for consumption or sale, including a gob well. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Office: means office of oil and gas provided for in section seven, article one of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- Person: means any natural person, corporation, firm, partnership, partnership association, venture, receiver, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, fiduciary, other representative of any kind, any recognized legal entity, or political subdivision or agency thereof. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
- well: shall mean a coalbed methane well unless the context indicates otherwise. See West Virginia Code 22-21-2
(1) Each coal owner of record and coal operator of record of any coal seam underlying any tract or portion thereof which is proposed to be included in the unit;
(2) Each owner and lessee of record and each operator of natural gas surrounding the well bore and existing in formations above the top of the uppermost member of the "Onondaga Group" or at a depth less than six thousand feet, whichever is shallower. Notices to gas operators shall be sufficient if served upon the agent of record with the Office of Oil and Gas; and
(3) Any coalbed methane owner to the extent not otherwise named which interest arises from a deed, lease, contract, will, inheritance or other instrument of record wherein a person or entity identified in subdivision (1) or (2), subsection (a) of this section or the predecessor in title to such person or entity, expressly granted, leased, reserved or conveyed coalbed methane.
(b) At least thirty days prior to the date set for the hearing under section seventeen of this article, the applicant shall publish a notice by a Class II legal advertisement in the county or counties in which the well unit is to be located. The legal advertisement shall contain the information required by subsection (c) and any other information as the chief shall prescribe by rule.
(c) The notice required by this section shall specify a time and place for a conference and a hearing on this application, shall advise the persons notified that the applicant has filed an application for a drilling unit for the production of coalbed methane, that they may be present and object or offer comments to the formation of the proposed unit and shall be accompanied with copies of: (i) The permit application for the coalbed methane well; (ii) the permit application for the drilling unit; and (iii) the plat of the drilling unit. However, in the case of the notice required by subsection (b) of this section, only the address of where an interested party can obtain such copies is required to be published.
(d) Notice by the applicant to all persons to whom notice must be provided under subsection (a) of this section and notice by publication as provided by subsection (b) of this section shall be deemed to include, and shall be deemed to be sufficient notice to, all potential claimants to ownership of the coalbed methane.