Kepple v. Fairman Drilling Co.

OPINION OF THE COURT

LARSEN, Justice.

These appeals were consolidated to address the common issue of whether the courts below properly construed Act No. 60, P.L. of July 20, 1979, (as codified at 58 P.S. § 33-35 (Supp.1990)) in deciding that the Act could be applied retroactively so as to require a state mandated increase in gas and oil royalties to override valid lease agreements which were entered into prior to the enactment of the statute. The Act provides as follows:

Section 1. A lease or other such agreement conveying the right to remove or recover oil, natural gas or gas of any other…