Well Location Not On The Producing Lease

I just noticed a new well permit and it is being drilled on acreage I own 1258 feet from my southern lease line. By the look of the permit, only the section to the south will be produced.

My question, why in the world would they need 1258 feet to land the horizontal? I had understood that it only requires 300-400 feet, so I am obviously miffed!

I wonder what we can charge/expect for surface damages?

Stephen, as far as I know you don't have to allow them to place a drilling pad on your surface if it isn't producing your minerals. Any lease you have would grant access to produce your minerals, not someone else's. This may give a clue to how much you could negotiate for. Personally I don't regard oil companies as good tenants so I would make the price high enough that hopefully they would decide another location was better.

If it had been 200-300' I would understand it, but 1,258' from the lease line???

Most importantly I want development of our lease and I'm not happy as they drilled a terrific well almost three years ago and have not done one more thing since.

I have extensive experience with the "One and Done" drilling. 9 years later I'm seeing extensive drilling because, like yours, mine were great wells profitable all the way down to todays prices...so now they are infill drilling mine evidently with intent to pump it dry at the lowest price. Face palm. It is what it is.