That's the same as Ohio, surface and mineral rights are 2 different items.

We made mineral rights part of the offer to purchase the 6.5 acres. 
Turns out the farmer (land was winter wheat harvested day before we dug 
basement) had sold mineral rights to the parts of the 500 or so acres he 
owned checkerboard style (he wasn't particularly fond of the purchasing 
salesman), and our particular parcel was one that had not been sold. 
Mineral rights didn't cost anything, just came along with the deal. The 
$8K was to the driller.

As we were building house, hired a well driller (cable tool rig) to 
drill for water. 3 holes were dry, he got down about 80 feet and after 
looking, feeling, and sniffing mud coming up, he said there was no 
useable water down there. On the 3rd hole we started talking about gas, 
an he pointe out around the horizon, a half dozen houses that had their 
own gas well. We came to an agreement, the driller got the necessary 
State of Ohio drilling permits (the operation was regularly inspected), 
ordered casing, put a loner cable on the rig and started drilling. The 
hole has 120 feet of 8" casing to case off any fresh water if any, 
another 60 foot of 6" casing to case off the salt water (artesion (sp) 
to within 20' of surface). Top of 8" casing has a blind bolted flange, 
1.25" pipe coupling welded to side, which then takes well head pressure 
(0 to 50 PSI.) to regulator down to 6" H20 pressure and on to house. The 
natural gas has a dew point of water vapor around freezing. The well 
head and all piping exposed to the weather must be heated in winter, an 
enclosure around the well, regulator (and the PIC), heat trace tape 
other spots.

Nate Duehr wrote:
> Carl Denk wrote:
>
>   
>> We drilled the gas well 30 years ago for $8K USD, and it is 1000' deep. 
>> The well serves only the house, and in very cold windy weather can be 
>> temporarily depleted, but an hour rest and it's good for a half a day again.
>>     
>
> How did you get the mineral rights?
>
> Out here in the westnern U.S., you might own the land on top but not the 
> minerals, gas, oil, or whatever below.
>
> Was it difficult?  Or did you just tap the gas and not care?  Or did you 
> have a property that also included underground mineral rights?
>
> Just curious -- if you had to go through that process, what did it cost 
> for that part of the well.
>
> Nate
>   
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