Barnett Shale update - seismic

The neighborhood association's Oil & Gas Committee and Executive Committee recommend that property owners in the neighborhood NOT permit or comply with a seismic survey request from anyone at this time.

1) Seismic conducted prior to the lease signing might cause a company to rule out certain acreage; and 2) Such surface rights issues can be addressed in the lease.

New OWNA PO Box

The OWNA now has a Post Office Box for correspondence.

Please make note of the new address. Your NA dues can also be mailed to this PO Box.

Overton West Neighborhood Assn.

P.O. Box 100811

Fort Worth, TX 76185-0811

January 2008 Newsletter

Please click HERE to see an electronic version of the OWNA January 2008 Neighborhood News. If you live in the neighborhood, you should receive a mailed copy of this newsletter in the near future.

New letters and offers from XTO/Holland/Vargas

You likely received in the mail an envelope from XTO/Holland/Vargas with a draft lease.

The OWNA executive committee met on January 3rd to discuss our first order of business, selecting an Oil & Gas Committee. We are pleased to announce that Scott Connolly, Charles Florsheim, Steve Poe, and Robert Reynolds have agreed to serve on the committee. Remember, our primary negotiating strength is our unity.

The neighborhood association strongly recommends that you do not sign a gas lease with XTO Energy, Vagas Energy, Holland Acquisitions or anyone else until the Oil and Gas Committee makes recommendations regarding leasing issues.

Persons living in the neighborhood should in the coming days receive a newsletter from the OWNA. The newsletter will provide additional information, and we will post the newsletter here as well.

Finally, a new and improved neighborhood web site is in the works. We will keep you posted.

City gets highest bonus reported: $23,511/acre

The Star Telegram reports on a lucrative lease deal.

Overton West Bylaws

Amended Bylaws adopted last week: please click here.

Report on 12-6-2007 Meeting

The Overton West Neighborhood Association ("OWNA") met on December 6, 2007.

Members present adopted Amended Bylaws for the OWNA which will be made available soon.

New officers were elected to the Executive Board:

• President: Troy Tuomey
• Vice-President: Andy Keetch
• Secretary: Amy Raines, P.E.
  
• Treasurer: Robert Reynolds

City Councilman Chuck Silcox was kind enough to come to the meeting on short notice. He spoke about the importance of neighborhood associations and about gas/drilling issues.

The OWNA voted that the Executive Board should appoint a Barnett Shale Committee to represent the OWNA in gas lease negotiations.

Many issues regarding Barnett Shales leases were discussed, including: surface use restrictions, bonus payments, royalty amounts, title risk allocation, traffic issues, enclosure of compressors, limitations on primary term and elimination of shut in terms, possible unity with other neighborhoods, whether an attorney should be engaged and similar issues. The Barnett Shale Committee is expected to examine such issues and report recommendations back to the Executive Board.

Representatives of other neighborhoods came to the meeting and encouraged persons living in our neighborhood to remain unified. Our strength in negotiations and discussions is our unity.

A new neighborhood web site is in the works thanks to Carey Hilton of Boulder Run. When the new web site is ready, a link will be posted here.

Finally, members are strongly encouraged to talk to their neighbors who did not attend the meeting. Please advise your neighbors of the OWNA's plans and 1) the need to be unified; 2) remind neighbors that they should not sign any lease; and 3) refer all inquiries to OWNA president Troy Tuomey. Troy's email address is tuomey AT charter DOT net.