Special Report: The Casualties of Chesapeake's "Land Grab" Across America

Ranjana Bhandari and her husband Kaushik De, who recently failed in their attempt to prevent Chesapeake Energy from drilling for gas near their home, stand near a Chesapeake Energy gas well in Arlington, Texas September 16, 2012. Picture taken September 16, 2012.
REUTERS/Mike Stone

reuters.com - By Brian Grow, Joshua Schneyer and Anna Driver - October 2, 2012

(Reuters) - Ranjana Bhandari and her husband knew the natural gas beneath their ranch-style home in Arlington, Texas, could be worth a lot - especially when they got offer after offer from Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Chesapeake wanted to drill there, and the offers could have netted the couple thousands of dollars in a bonus and royalties. But Bhandari says they ultimately declined the deals because they oppose fracking in residential areas. . .

. . . This June, after petitioning a Texas state agency for an exception to a 93-year-old statute, the company effectively secured the ability to drain the gas from beneath the Bhandari property anyway - without having to pay the couple a penny.

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