Gastar Successfully Defeats Twin Litigation Cases in Pennsylvania and West Virginia
Judge David W. Hummel, Jr. of Marshall County, West Virginia has dismissed the second in a pair of lawsuits aimed to restrict operator Gastar Exploration, Inc.’s ability to hydraulically fracture several wells in Marshall County, West Virginia. According to the Order entered by Judge Hummel in December, on April 22, 2014 Eagle Natrium, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Axiall Corporation, filed suit against Gastar seeking a preliminary injunction to keep Gastar from hydraulically fracturing wells located under Eagle’s lands in Marshall County, West Virginia, due to the threat of irreparable damage to existing salt wells and operations. Judge Hummel denied Eagle’s request for a preliminary injunction and dismissed the Case (Civil Action No. 14-C-179), noting that the issue had already been resolved by a Pennsylvania court, and that a party cannot seek relief for the same problem in multiple courts without some intervening change in circumstance.