Pennsylvania--Recent Developments in Pennsylvania Jurisprudence Related to Oil and Gas Leasing and Conveyancing

Pennsylvania is the largest producer of shale gas in the United States and is the second-largest natural gas-producing state overall. Owing to its strategic location atop the Marcellus and Utica Shale Formations, Pennsylvania’s position as a major natural gas producer is relatively new. Just a little over a decade ago, Pennsylvania ranked sixteenth among states in total natural gas production. With this rapid rise in the amount of natural gas development, there has been a corresponding increase in activity in courtrooms across Pennsylvania—both in state and federal courts. As a result, Pennsylvania oil and gas law has evolved within a number of different legal areas, with leasing and title issues perhaps being among the most frequent—and most important—topics that have been addressed by courts. This survey will address the 2019 reported judicial opinions issued by state courts in Pennsylvania that address oil and gas leasing and title issues.