In this video, Landowner Rights Attorney Philip Hundl talks about a new pipeline project called Blackcomb, by Whitewater Midstream. If you’re impacted by this or any other pipeline project, you should get the help of a knowledgeable lawyer to guide you through the condemnation process. Call Philip at 800-266-4870 or text the office at 979-320-9320. Our offices are in Wharton County and we help landowners all over Texas.
Summary of the Blackcomb Pipeline Update
Hi, Phil Hundl here with a quick pipeline update. This is on the Blackcomb Pipeline, a new project by Whitewater Midstream. We’ve talked a lot about different Whitewater projects from the Blackfin, BANGL, Matterhorn, and this is Blackcomb. It will run, it’ll take a southern path along, parallel with their existing Whistler pipeline. And so this project, if you’re a landowner, you have already been contacted by the right-of-way agents or ROW agents asking for survey access to survey your property. That survey’s probably been completed and they’re at the stage where you will be getting soon, initial, formal initial offer letters.
You have already probably received some type of informal offer from a right-of-way agent very possibly, but you will be soon be getting these initial offer letters or packets. It will contain, typically, a copy of the proposed easement agreement and also a copy of the landowner’s bill of rights, a W-9 form. Sometimes that W-9 confuses landowners. They think that’s something they need to fill out and sign. And that’s only in their anticipation of you accepting their proposed deal. So, this video is to talk to you about the steps, where you are in the process, your rights, and their obligations.
So, in this project, the very large project as we mentioned, it’s going to be a 42-inch diameter line. It’s 365 miles long. It starts way out in Martin County, runs Midland., Upton, Reagan, Crockett drops down Val Verde, Kinney County. So that’s the Del Rio area, and then going along South Texas, Maverick, Zavala, Dimmit, LaSalle, McMullen, Duvall, Jim Wells, and then Nueces County ending at the Aguadulce Terminal.
So, once again, they’re at the surveying stage, survey gets completed they’ll be providing you an initial offer packet that will then be followed by a final, formal final offer packet, which will include an appraisal. And this is all the steps required by them to condemn an easement on your property.
I’m going to follow up this video with another video specifically talking about how to analyze and review that what’s going to be included in that initial offer packet is a plat, so a copy of the proposed easement on your property and what it entails. You need to pay attention to where it is, and how large it is. There will be a diagram or plat talking about the permanent easement area, temporary workspace, additional temporary workspaces, and then also you really need to pay attention if they are seeking permanent access roads on your property, temporary access roads on your property, and possibly even valve sites, so above ground sites on your property.
I’m going to follow up this video with another video showing those items on a plat so that you can better understand what they’re seeking to take. Sometimes there’s confusion, sometimes it’s understood or interpreted by a landowner that they only need a permanent easement for an underground pipeline, and the next thing you know, there’s a valve site also granted to them on your property. So you need to be very, very careful with that permanent access road and not just a temporary access road. So we’re going to go over that in the next video that I’m also going to include on the blog, so stay tuned.
Call 800-266-4870 or text 979-320-9320 for an appointment. We can also arrange for online and telephone appointments all over Texas.