Jim Barrett stands next to a wellpad on his farm in Bradford County. He says Chesapeake Energy, which drilled four natural gas wells on his land, is cheating him out of royalty money. He is part of a class-action lawsuit against the company, which is separate from a case involving Chesapeake that's being pursued by the state Attorney General.
July 10, 2020 | 5:35 AM

Are gas royalty owners buyers or sellers? In a court fight over royalties, the answer to that question could make all the difference to landowners

The state attorney general’s office says when someone sells drilling rights to a company, they should be covered under the consumer protection law. Drillers in the lawsuit argue the landowners aren’t buying anything — so they’re not protected consumers.

By Rachel McDevitt