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Board approves multiple Pocahontas Gas repooling applications for Oakwood units; cost allocations recorded
Summary
The board approved repooling and pooling petitions from Pocahontas Gas LLC and related applicants for several Oakwood units (H39, H38, G36), confirmed cost allocations for affected longwall panels, and directed minor corrections to proposed orders.
The General Gas Roll Board on July 15 approved several repooling and force-pooling applications filed by Pocahontas Gas LLC and related applicants seeking to allocate production and costs across Oakwood longwall panels.
Pocahontas’ representative, Kelly Berry, a senior analyst for land records and division of interest at the company, testified about notice, certification and the exhibit package supporting the applications. For the H39 Oakwood unit, Berry reported that Pocahontas had acquired 99.8475% of the unit’s interest and sought to force-pool the remaining 0.1525%. She provided cost allocations for two longwall panels affecting H39: $2,604,570.07 for the 15 East panel and $2,347,098.01 for the 16 East panel, combining to $4,951,668.08 allocated to H39.
For unit H38, the applicant gave allocated costs of $1,723,182.18 (15 East) and $2,347,098.01 (16 East) for a total allocation to H38 of $4,070,280.19. For unit G36, which has no new permits and is affected by mining panels rather than new drilling, the total allocated cost was $528,075.05 based on percentages of the 17 East and 18 East panels attributed to that unit.
Pocahontas proposed standard lease terms for any owners who elect to lease: a $5-per-acre-per-year paid-up bonus for a five-year lease and a one-eighth royalty. The applicant also presented PE-certified tract acreages and allocation percentages and provided proof of certified mailing and publication in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
Board members asked clarifying questions about symbology on plats, whether certain legacy wells were plugged, and whether Oakwood 1 units were affected; the applicants confirmed that the older Oakwood 1 status had been superseded where wells were plugged and that proposed orders would be corrected to show the hearing date of July 15, 2025. The board voted to approve the applications with the corrections noted on the record; roll-call votes recorded affirmative responses from the members present.
