Court Jurisdiction, Procedure and Review: Interlocutory Appeals West Virginia: Conservation Regulation; Shallow Versus Deep Wells

摘要

A number of oil and gas operators file applications with the West Virginia Oil & Gas Conservation Commission ("Commission") to drill wells into the Marcel-lus Shale formation. The Marcellus Shale formation lies directly above the Onondaga formation, which under the West Virginia oil and gas conservation statutes is the starting point for classifying a well as a "deep well." "Shallow wells," on the other hand, are subject to regulation by the Shallow Well Gas Review Board and not by the Commission.