Oil and gas law in Pennsylvania is state law. A lease, a royalty statement or an old deed reservation is read under the same rules whether the land is in Washington County, Greene County or the northern tier. Kostrub Law Firm, PLLC is based in Cecil Township, Washington County, in the middle of the Marcellus Shale region. If your property is somewhere else in Pennsylvania, call us and ask whether we can review your documents.
Daniel B. Kostrub handles the firm’s oil and gas work: lease review, mineral title, division orders and royalty questions.
Where Pennsylvania gas is produced
Drilling is concentrated in a handful of counties. According to state figures reported by the Pennsylvania Business Report, Susquehanna, Bradford, Washington, Greene and Lycoming counties together produced about 70 percent of the state’s natural gas in 2025 and accounted for more than half of the new wells. Washington and Lycoming counties had the most wells drilled that year.
The Marcellus play itself started in Washington County. The first Marcellus well, the Renz #1, was drilled in 2004 in Mount Pleasant Township.
Pennsylvania rules every landowner should know
- Minimum royalty. Pennsylvania’s Guaranteed Minimum Royalty Act requires at least a one-eighth (12.5%) royalty on oil and gas leases.
- Post-production deductions. Pennsylvania courts have allowed companies to deduct certain costs before paying that royalty, so long as the lease permits it. The deduction language in your lease can matter as much as the royalty percentage.
- Pooling. Whether your land can be combined with neighboring tracts into a drilling unit usually depends on the pooling clause in your lease.
- Severed rights. Oil, gas and coal rights are often sold or reserved separately from the surface. Owning the land does not always mean owning the gas. See who owns mineral rights in Pennsylvania.
How we help Pennsylvania landowners
- Lease review before you sign, including royalty, deductions, term, shut-in and land use clauses
- Title opinions and mineral ownership research
- Division orders and royalty payment questions
- Surface use, pipeline and right-of-way agreements
- Estate planning for families who own mineral interests
Before you call
Gather what you have: the lease or offer letter, your deed, any division order, and a recent royalty statement. Our Pennsylvania gas lease checklist lists the clauses to look at first. Tell us the county and township where the land is.
Questions landowners ask
Can you help if my land is not in Washington or Allegheny County?
Often, yes, for document review and title work, because the law is statewide. Call and tell us where the land is and what you need. We will tell you plainly whether we can help.
The company says the offer is standard. Can it be changed?
Many lease terms can be negotiated, especially deductions, land use and the length of the lease. Our article on Marcellus Shale gas lease terms covers the main ones.
Get started
Call (304) 982-1586 or send a short message. See also our local page for oil and gas law in Washington County and the full list of communities we serve.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.