Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, hopes to sign a lease for Marcellus Shale gas drilling on its property in March 2012. The institution would be following in the footsteps of West Liberty University and Bethany College, both in the northern panhandle, which have already leased their land.
At least at A-B and Bethany, the drilling will be done on off-campus acreage. Bethany’s lease has several specific clauses as well, such as a 500-foot buffer between a well head and the nearest campus building.
Institutions of higher education are always seeking new funding sources; but in the context of the current state of the economy, gas royalties are an especially appealing prospect.