This lease rider form may be used when you are involved in a lease transaction, and have made the decision to utilize the form of Oil and Gas Lease presented to you by the Lessee, and you want to include additional provisions to that Lease form to address specific concerns you may have, or place limitations on the rights granted the Lessee in the “standard” lease form.
The New Hampshire Pugh Clause is a legal provision specific to oil and gas leases, particularly in the state of New Hampshire. It serves as an essential tool for both landowners and lessees involved in the extraction and exploration of mineral resources. This clause allows for the partial termination of an oil and gas lease, ensuring that it remains efficient and productive for all parties involved. The primary purpose of the New Hampshire Pugh Clause is to prevent "lock-in" or the perpetual holding of unused portions of an oil and gas lease. It grants the landowner the right to end the lease for certain tracts of land while retaining control over other portions. This is particularly beneficial when there are specific areas that hold no viable mineral deposits or where the extraction process, due to technological advancements, becomes less lucrative. Some common variations of the New Hampshire Pugh Clause include: 1. Depth Pugh Clause: This type of Pugh Clause focuses on the depth of the mineral deposits. It allows the landowner to terminate the lease and free the deeper strata from the contractual obligations, while still holding the lessee responsible for the shallower mineral rights. With the advancement of drilling technology, this clause has become increasingly relevant, allowing landowners to renegotiate lease terms based on more accurate information regarding the potential presence of valuable resources at different depths. 2. Time Pugh Clause: Unlike the Depth Pugh Clause, the Time Pugh Clause focuses on the lease's temporal aspects. It provides the landowner with the option to terminate the lease for specific tracts of land that have remained inactive or unproductive for a specified duration. This ensures that both parties can reassess the lease's terms and negotiate more beneficial agreements based on the actual productivity of the operations. 3. Acreage Pugh Clause: The Acreage Pugh Clause gives landowners the discretion to terminate the lease for only certain acreages that are not yielding substantial returns or have turned economically unviable. By releasing these underperforming tracts, landowners have the opportunity to initiate new negotiations, potentially attracting other interested lessees who might be able to exploit the mineral resources more effectively. In summary, the New Hampshire Pugh Clause provides landowners with an advantageous mechanism to retain control and flexibility over their property in oil and gas lease agreements. Its different types, such as Depth, Time, and Acreage Pugh Clauses, allow landowners to maximize the potential value of their land while ensuring lease obligations align with the actual productivity of the mineral resources.
