EQT Production Company v. Margot Beth Crowder

HUTCHISON, Justice:

Plaintiffs Margot Beth Crowder and David Wentz own the surface of land in Doddridge County, West Virginia. Defendant EQT Production Company ("EQT") holds a century-old lease that allows EQT to drill wells to extract oil and gas from beneath the plaintiffs' surface estate. The plaintiffs brought this lawsuit to challenge EQT's use of their surface estate to drill horizontal wells that extend under neighboring properties so that EQT can extract natural gas from beneath those properties. The plaintiffs contend that EQT's lease does not allow it to use their surface estate to…