Protecting Your Land from Energy Company Overreach

Why Do Energy Companies Need More Land?

The world is facing an energy crisis on a global scale. Growing populations are putting more demands on our energy infrastructure than ever before. Even the fully developed first world nations are facing shortages, just look at Europe now that Russian gas is no longer a reliable source for power.

Adding to the crisis is the growing push to transition away from fossil fuels as fast as possible. Buildouts of wind and solar farms have increased drastically over the past decade, and the infrastructure required to utilize those energy sources are projects on a huge scale. Transmission lines, power stations, and switch points are requiring more and more land. Oil and gas exploration has also required more land as the wells get deeper, longer, and more numerous on each pad location.

How does this impact landowners?

The increased size of energy facilities is obviously going to be a huge impact on your land. Since the energy companies typically like to negotiate contracts up front before stipulating where (or how large) surface sites will be, this can put landowners in the unfortunate position of signing a lease agreement and having to argue with energy companies later about the location of those surface sites. Don’t let your land go to waste. Without proper management and oversight, even an honest energy operator can end up using far more land than necessary.

This is where Surface Advisors can help. We will work with you, your attorneys, and the energy companies to find the best possible outcome for all parties. The intricacies of negotiating oil and gas, solar, or wind leases are something we have decades of experience with. We can make sure that you maximize your potential return (profits) while minimizing the impact to your land. Once all of the agreements are in place, we put boots on the ground and eyes in the sky to make sure the energy operators are abiding by those contracts.

How can MYR help?

  • Contract Negotiation

    The experience that MYR can bring to the table when you are negotiating an oil and gas lease or a surface use agreement can make all the difference between having your property taken over and destroyed, or keeping an energy company limited to only what is absolutely necessary for their operations. We have worked on both sides of these negotiations and can advise you or your attorney how to maximize your potential benefits from these agreements while minimizing the downsides.

  • Eyes in the Sky, Boots on the Ground

    Keeping an eye on the expansion and construction of energy surface sites is something that needs to be done on a regular basis. With an FAA licensed drone pilot on staff, we are able to conduct aerial photography that can often help pinpoint potential problems that may not be apparent from the ground. Having documentation of the size of these surface sites can be immensely valuable if you need to confront an energy operator about potential breach of contract.

  • Hold Them Accountable

    When a dispute arises, MYR can help you get it resolved in a timely manner and to your exact specifications. With documentation of the development of the surface sites on your property as evidence of changes, it greatly enhances your ability to hold operators accountable should they try to expand beyond the limitations of their contractual agreements. We can also assist with the approach of how you handle this, as to not endanger further operations that could be to your benefit.