Has anyone had experience with GoldStar Land Services, LLC (a brokerage working on behalf of Devon Energy Production?
We have a seismograph lease with them and experienced substantial property damage that goes beyond the normal wear and tear, such as the disappearance of a registered bull (checked fence - no sign of him jumping or breaking through), cut and broken gate locks, the presence of trucks carrying cement and massive drills (ie: NOT seismograph trucks) causing irreparable damage to the land, hay crop, and on-going cattle grazing business, and even the presence of helicopters flying overhead on more than one occasion. We have had these agreements numerous times in the past and these issues are all firsts.
We would like to work the issues out, but the countless phone calls and emails continue to go unanswered.
If anyone has a suggestion on who at Devon we should contact, that would be great. Devon has always been a great operator in our past experience and doubt they are aware of the situation.
Thanks in advance!
Large seismic holes require a drill and helicopters are sometimes used to place the charges, but your lease should require Devon to pay for damages unless you signed a release for damage to crops and excessive ruts, etc. I'd try contacting Devon OKC mineral owner relations department.
Goldstar did the seismographing on our place & we didn't have any trouble. They used helicopters and the big tired thumpers, but all they left was mashed grass tracks in the pasture. It sounds like someone else is using the seismograph crews presence to trespass.
Thank you all for the input. We now have dialog with the Goldstar agent (and tracked down the missing bull, albeit without much explanation as to how he got out, other than the gate being left open - but I will take that result over the alternatives any day).
Hoping this is coming to a near end.
Had a question for the last reply by Go Fast...what do you mean someone else is using the seismograph crew to trespass? I assumed Goldstar would question any unknown person or crew also doing explorative work on property they had leased...could you explain or give an example....this scenario never would have crossed my mind.
Thank you all, again....very helpful!
Go Fast said:
Goldstar did the seismographing on our place & we didn't have any trouble. They used helicopters and the big tired thumpers, but all they left was mashed grass tracks in the pasture. It sounds like someone else is using the seismograph crews presence to trespass.
I guess the best way to explain is that I have been around oil field workers, tank truck drivers, contractors & farmers quite a bit in the last 30 years. I've heard numerous stories of people sneaking back to a spot they had worked to fish, hunt, or worse - steal property they had seen. I used to sell equipment, trailers & things that could be easily stolen. I had customers in all the time talking about the pipeline/rig/project that had just gone in & 2 weeks after they left, a trailer/welder disappeared. Coincidence, maybe, but I heard many stories like that. Most times I believe the crew is honest, but they may mention what they saw to their 'not-so-honest' friends.
The seismic crew near us would all return to town for the night & their 'little city' would be deserted. Most of the time there appeared to be a guy there in a truck or trailer, but not all the time.
We are the nosy neighbors :-) we occasionally drive the section lines in our area to see what's going on. If there is a vehicle parked somewhere that doesn't appear local, or looks out of place, I've been known to call the sheriff & ask them to check it out.
Several years ago I saw a trailer being stolen, but at the time I didn't know that or I'd have paid more attention to the vehicle hooking on. I found out a few days later it had been stolen, not loaned out.