Shreveport Shale

Landowners in Shreveport’s much publicized Haynesville Shale area are in a fortunate position few land owners have seen since the Gold Rush days. Of course each individual situation differs, with some chunks of land paying huge dividends and others worth only marginally more than they would have been at market value not too long ago. With so much money flowing into the formerly humble hands of many area residents, a lot of landowners feel uneducated about their options and stand wary about underselling their land or getting cheated out of what they’re entitled to by slick energy companies. Sure, the “natural gas boom” is bound to greatly benefit the region, country and planet, but landsmen coming in to survey the earth, research property deeds and make purchase offers to the owners do not necessarily have the landowners best interests as their primary focus. Like all other promisingly lucrative endeavors, natural gas mining is, after all, a business and selling land to energy development companies is just another form of business negotiation.Fortunately uninformed or overwhelmed residents do have options to turn to for help and advisory services when it comes to selling their land. The Haynesville Shale Landowners Association was formed around three main pillars to support their namesake community: education, protection and negotiation. The organization provides for a structured plan, allowing local landowners to work together to be fully informed in regards to their decision, helping to structure leases that work in their best interests while still satisfying the needs of drilling companies. Holding once monthly meetings, the HSLA allows for the community to come together and discuss the changes taking place during this time of transition.In addition to the HSLA, the City of Shreveport and Mayor Cedric B. Glover have also released official recommendations and general guidelines relating to gas drilling and mineral leases, laying out some basic legal rights and procedural to-do’s to provide assistance.