MOUNDSVILLE – Oil and gas leasehold owners for acreage in Marshall County allege that amounts are being deducted from royalties in breach of the leases.
PennMarcc Resources II LP, Appalachian Basin Minerals LP, et al. and other filed a complaint Oct. 23 in Marshall Circuit Court against Gastar Exploration USA Inc., TH Exploration II LLC, et al. alleging breach of contract, fraud and fraudulent concealment and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs are owners of interests of oil and gas in Marshall County, and that 920 net mineral acres of that are subject to leases taken by or assigned to Gastar. The suit states Gastar drilled and/or operated oil and gas wells on the plaintiffs' leaseholds in 2013 to 2016, which were then assigned to Tug Hill in April 2016.
The plaintiffs hold Gastar Exploration USA Inc., TH Exploration II LLC, et al. responsible because of the defendants are alleged have deducted and continue to deduct post-production costs from royalties belonging to the plaintiffs in breach of the leases.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek compensatory, incidental and punitive damages, with interest, attorney's fees and all other and further relief that are just and proper. They are represented by Mark A. Kepple of Bailey & Wyant PLLC in Wheeling and Bradley S. Tupi, Jeremy V. Farrell and Rebecca E. Alcorn of Tucker Arensberg PC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Marshall Circuit Court case number 17-C-214