The Implications Of Drilling Units Created By Pooling On Solar Development

At the beginning stages of a solar project, developers must be aware of oil and gas operations on or near the project area. However, operations that occur near but not directly on a site plan are often overlooked. If overlooked, these oil and gas operations can cause significant delays and costs when developing and financing a new project. However, some initial research and due diligence at the beginning of a greenfield development project can usually protect the project from the types of issues and costs associated with oil and gas operations located near but not directly on the site plan, which will allow the project to stay on schedule and budget.

Generally, in oil and gas producing states, through voluntary pooling or forced pooling, oil and gas drilling units may be comprised of several contiguous parcels of land that are owned by different mineral owners. In general, voluntary pooling occurs when an oil and gas lessee combines all or a portion of multiple oil