Doing the right thing

[cowman]

I am a firm believer in the old British saying "Its not whether you win or lose but how you play the game". Living a life where you treat people fairly?
Now of course we can all put a spin on things to to convince ourselves we are dealing fairly and probably I'm no angel in that department either!
However you cut it though some things in this world just aren't fair? It isn't fair that the Americans dump subsidized corn into this country at the expense of our grain farmers? And it isn't fair that they bend the rules and don't live up to their NAFTA committments on softwood lumber or Canadian cattle?
And it is not fair that Quebec gets a free ride because they can bully Ottawa into ruining the country for their benifit?
I think all we can do is try our best to deal as fairly as possible with our fellow man? So don't try to screw the neighbor out of his last dollar when he needs feed and you are the only game in town! I believe it is always helpful to try to put yourself in the other guys shoes and try to understand how he would see it? In the end he will respect you for how he was treated and will view you as a person he wants to do business with?
I deal with a variety of people in the oil patch and I can tell you fairness and integrity go a long way to repeat customers! I think most people raising purebred cattle know this? Not always but usually!
Maybe we can all come out ahead if we screw people every chance we get, but in the big picture what do you gain? Maybe they can stuff the millions you made into your coffin or something?

[Horse]

Must be a new preacher in town or something . When did the phrase fair play ever enter into the oil patch?
More like SCREW then to an inch of thier lives then give them a breath and stick it to them once more unless taking all you can get plus 10% is fair play.

[cowman]

Obviously you don't really know much about the oil patch. Do you think everyone working there are a pack of ravenous dogs?
Like any industry(and that includes farmers) there are good ones and there are bad ones! You might be totally surprized that a good majority of the people in the oil business came off the farms, the fishing boats, and out of small town Canada! Do you think they lost all their values the day they went to work in the oilfield? Sorry to inform you it didn't happen!
And the fact is without this industry is driving Albertas(and Canadas)economy we would be basically a third world country. So before you beat up the industry too bad you should realize without them you would be in a pretty sad state?

[sawfly]

this year we finnally have some energy activity. they drilled 14 gas wells around the area . all we had was about 2miles of pipeline on some land we rent.. .
their comming back later to pay for crop damage and nusance.
they mowed the standing wheat , then plowed in pipeline.
the stakes we a bit of a pain when i dessicated with the highclear.
when we straight cut the 2 foot plow ridge was still there. we had to haul a mile further to the bins.
quarters cut into 2 3or 4 triangular shaped feilds
crop damage is fairly easy to figure,but what do you charge for the hassels. like sending 1 combine around a qtr. to get at a 10 acre triangle.or hauling the production of a 320 acres ,a mile further to get to a bin.
any tips or hints on what is reasonable compensation?

[silverback]

The easiest for them to understand is time lost. All the contractors billing to the company is based on time. Figure out how long it would normally take to finish that field and compare to how long it actually took and add in lots for the PIA factor. Custom combine rates should be used (plus trucking) to send the bill for the extra time/acres.

Just my $.02.

[cowman]

Most crop damage should pay for three years? 100% the first year, 50% the second, 25% the third?
On any pipeline if you are on rocky land you are going to have a fine crop of rocks for a very minimum of three years. Also you might just find you have a few new weeds you might never have seen before? I would suggest you get something in writing concerning those problems? The cost to clean up some of these problem weeds can be fairly pricey?
If you are reasonable about what it cost you in extra time for inconvenience, most companies are not hard to deal with.

[cowman]

Also you might get settling of the pipeline right of way which can leave some sizable craters in the field. Anything of that nature may mean bringing in topsoil so ensure that you have a proviso in your contract that allows you to have the final say in where any topsoil or other fill comes from. I always contact the weed inspector prior to allowing any soil on this property, to ensure that no weed notices have been issued to the property where the soil or fill is coming from.

[Ron]

Don't sign off untill the rocks are picked and the right of way is reclaimed. I have had 3 lines cross rented land in the last couple years (I am the renter and get only crop damages but they need my signature). I have to sign off as well as the landlord (my deal with him) and I wont sign anything untill it is perfect . I dont want to be able to tell they were there. All rocks picked, drainage as before, and subsoiled with a para-till.
The pipeline company (not the oil company) wants to get in and out as fast as possible and will work through the mud leading to huge compaction (sometimes). I have left the right of way unseeded one year as it was unworkable with my equipment (24' cult stalled 160 hp tractor trying to work it up), I phoned the land agent, he came out and agreed to bring in a para-till, I had the rest of the quarter seeded by then and he agreed to pay crop loss as well as weed control for the year (on top of the 3 year crop loss).
They dont want to create problems because they might be back next year for another line. If you can be reasonable with them they will accomodate.

[cowman]

sawfly: Too late to do it now but if you ever get another pipeline, get a grandfathered clause for annual rent written into the lease? That way when the day comes that annual rent on pipelines come into effect you would get paid all the way back to the original day of construction.
I would also suggest if you have a surface rights group available in your area you join, as they can be very valuable in helping you deal with an oil/gas company.
The days when an annual rent might be paid on all pipelines may be closer than a lot of people think. I talked recently to the lawyer for the Surface Rights Board and she said they need the right case before they can set precidence for annual compensation on pipelines. She basically told me it is a done deal!
And by the way when that day comes, the next day the battle will start to get annual rent for all existing pipelines!