If a company wants to drill for coalbed methane on your private land, there is nothing you can do to stop them. This is because as a landowner, you own the surface rights, not the rights to sub-surface minerals and gases.

Interior farmer fumes over sale of rights to methane on his land (Victoria Times Colonist, Oct. 22, 2004)

Because under law private land owners hold only the surface rights to their properties, there is nothing to stop coalbed methane companies such as BP Energy from drilling for gas on your private land. While land owners can negotiate compensation, such payments are often minimal when considering the land degradation associated with CBM development

Studies have shown CBM development causes private land values to drop. A study in La Plata Colorado showed a 20 percent drop in value for property with wells on it, while an Alberta study showed a 10 percent drop in property values in the vicitinity of CBM development.

Impact of Oil and Gas Activity on Rural Residential Property Values (PDF)

Land owners should read the important document below to learn more about oil and gas on private land.

When the Landman Comes Knocking: A Toolkit for BC Landowners Living with Oil and Gas (West Coast Environmental Law)