Deciphering legal descriptions

Oklahoma Mineral Rights Kingfisher County, OK
1

I am confused by the full legal descriptions referenced on the OCC website. For example:

Kingfisher 1415N05W NW SW NW NE

I know this is Kingfisher Section 14 Township 15N and Range 05W but not sure I know how to read the cardinal directions. Does this represent “the NW/4 of the SW/4 of the NW/4 of the NE/4”?

Thanks in advance! Bruce Megahan

2

NE, NW, etc refer to quarters. If you ever see something like "E2:, that means East half. Then just insert the words “of the” between each abbreviation, as in: NW of the SW of the NW of the NE.

So assuming that Section 14 is a standard 640 acre section, this description gives 2.5 total acres. The NE is 160 acres, the NW of the NE is 40 acres, the SW of the NW of the NE is 10 acres, and, finally, the NW of the SW of the NW of the NE is 2.5 acres.

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3

Thanks for answering that. I did not post this, but have been trying to figure it out for years.

4

Thanks Steve. So in my example “Kingfisher 1415N05W NW SW NW NE”, if my mineral interests are in the S/2 of the SW/4 then my interests do not overlap the property since I have nothing in the NE/4, right?

5

You are correct that the two descriptions do not overlap. Having said that, the spacing unit for the well in question is almost certainly larger than 2.5 acres and may well include your minerals.

6

Interesting! I now see the distinction between the “surface hole” legal description and the “bottom hole” legal description. They can reference completely different sections. Until now I’ve based my searches using the “surface hole” selection whereas I should have been searching with the “bottom hole” selection. Example, I have 17 acres of the the Vedajac 1505 1-11MH lease in Kingfisher 11-15N-05W. When I search using “surface hole”, I don’t find the well. However I do find the well when searching with the “bottom hole” selection. The “Lease Legal” tab shows the surface hole as 14-15N-05W, not 11-15N-05W.

7

If you are looking on the OCC wellrecords site, they will list by surface hole which may not be your section, but usually in a contiguous one. The OTC tax site often lists from the bottom hole location. If not there, then work up the hole.

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8

Thanks Martha. I was looking at the OCC Well Data System where searches can be by surface hole or bottom hole.

9

You are right on the OCC. I usually just do it by the SL.