Just a quick note on a call I had with Antero today. They are changing over to a new accounting system, so if you received a check or deposit today, it is likely for OIL only from that unit- the gas portion payment will come next week! So if the amount was ridiculously low, it was probably just the oil. Hang in there!
You’re welcome Darin. It is kind of exciting to discover things, and in your situation what a good discovery. It is frustrating, with Doddridge, that the older deeds are not online and viewable. Some are indexed but not viewable. Tyler database has the old deeds, I think Wetzel does too.
I recommend to everybody that you do what Darin has done, and see what you can find on the Doddridge database, Doddridge documents
and if you get stuck, or don’t know where to start, just ask!
We have received an “amendment and ratification” from EQT and it refers to a lease book 20 page 71. What do I need to put into this doddridge documents site to get to this doc? It is very old-1901!
Thanks to all who are providing such great info. Is there a way we can get the “family tree” info the landsmen develop when doing their research for Antero??
Jim, I don’t know about how to get the old documents if they aren’t viewable on the database. If I needed to get a document, I would call the Doddridge County Clerk and ask if they send copies of the old deeds. From what I have seen with Doddridge records, for much of the time the deeds and leases were recorded in the same system. Then more recently there was a separate numbering for lease books.
I hope someone can tell us more about this. My interests are in Ritchie and a little in Tyler, and I know how to use those records.
Buck, you can ask the landman. I think the abstractors need to arrange for wills to be filed as needed, and affidavits of heirship. So maybe you can find some of that in the database, by searching on known names. I think the companies mostly have the attitude that they paid for the research into these family trees and it is their private information, but often they get this information by asking people they find to tell about their relatives, so it should be more sharable.
Stephanie, I am sure not all the Doddridge records are indexed; I have not found many things I expected to be there when looking for some of these. Some are indexed but not scanned, or at lease not viewable. And you’re right about dates. Sometimes something is dated and signed, then not recorded until many years later when they realized they need the one document recorded in order to do something like sell or lease the property.
To All: If you are wondering why your well (drilling) has been pushed back into 2016 read Antero’s 1st quarter report, all of it.
Thanks, Nancy, I’m sure you are correct about the records not all being indexed. I had the experience of going to the courthouse several times to look up records and they are always very busy. The people who want to look up records, like landmen and such, need to sign up for an hour at a time, so that if there are too many they can rotate through the list and take turns going in the room, which is very small. The people working there are busy at their desks all day long doing whatever it is they do. I am a novice at looking up records, but they have the same computer system that you linked to in order to look up the indexes. Then you use that info to find the book and see the actual record. They also had books of indexes that some people were using instead of the computer. Perhaps the books were more complete than the computer data? I didn’t try using the books.
Jim, I think I know what is going on with your search for book 20 page 71. I think that if we had access to all their old records there would be an entry on the Deed book 20 page 71 for the lease you were told about. I think for many years they put deeds and leases in the same book. At some point they started keeping a separate lease book, maybe starting with Book 1. I think they may have had a separate Will book for awhile, and it is up to and probably past book 20 now, but is a different numbering than the deeds and leases. Since they don’t have the old deeds and leases in the current searchable database, the only book for “20” must be the will books, maybe they have some trust records with a different numbering. If they ever get the old books available online, there will have to be a way to say which “book 20” you are searching for.
An idea: you say that you have been told about this old lease, recorded in book 20 page 71. That sounds like there might be some production still from a well or wells on that property. If so, you should be being paid for that well or wells, or at least now that you are “found” there should be a way to get you paid by some other company.
The thing to do is to determine who that old lease is now with, and ask their land dept if they can provide you with a copy of that old lease. They should be able to.
I am hoping somebody can report that the Doddridge county clerk’s office can send copies of old records. If so, that would be a great way to get the copy but if they are too busy or something, the company (I think I found in your early post that EQT was involved?) should be able to help.
Jacqueline, I think the amount the companies pay for expenses is fairly constant, and the price
of natural gas (also oil and liquids) fluctuates, so a fixed amount of a smaller total is going to be a larger percentage of that total than the same fixed amount of a larger total.
Say it costs $4 per 10 mcf to transport the gas (I am making this up, and have no idea if that is anywhere near a real number). Gas is $2 per mcf so total value is $20. your royalty is 15% so $3.00, less 15% of 4 = .60 so you get $2.40.
If price is $4 per mcf then the value of 10 mcf is 40 but the expense is still .60 so you get 15% of $40 = 6 less the same .60 so your net is $5.40, a lot smaller proportion for expense.
Hope that didn’t lose those people who hate math and word problems LOL
And if I’m wrong about this, somebody please explain it better.
I just wanted to say something about pooling documents. We have all been handed down some sort of mineral rights that we know little about, and certainly searching the Doddridge database for lease/deed lines of title should be something that we ALL do! Thanks to Nancy Mosley, there were two tracts of land that I thought Antero had left us out of in the pooling documents on two units. She helped me search the old leases and deeds and form a strong case to present to Antero. Just yesterday I did so, and we are now pooled in two additional units! I wanted to thank Nancy publicly for this assistance! This means more security for my kids in the future, as I want them to have an ACCURATE line of title to all of these rights. Thanks Nancy Mosley!!! 
Jim, you can change the drop-down menu on the left from “individual” to “book-page” and then do a search. I tried it out and did not see any leases, so I am not sure if what you are looking for does has the book and page number indexed as part of its listing. As far as I know all the Doddridge co. records are indexed, but most are not scanned and viewable unless someone has looked at it recently. Then the date could be misleading because something dated 1962 could show up as 2015, since that is when it was scanned. I hope I am making sense trying to explain this!
Thanks for that information, Stephanie. I haven’t been to the courthouse in West Union (Doddridge) but in Harrisville (Ritchie) they have the “new system” and the “old system” on their records room computers. The “new system” is from July 1985-present, and is the data available online now. The “old system” is scanned records up until July 1985, and the indexes are in book form only (as of a few months ago) even in the records room. I think it is likely the same way at Doddridge, with the old indexes being only in book format.
When you found records, was it only the newer ones, the ones on the computer? Or were you also able to get older records?
Hi everyone…I have few questions today. Does anyone know if Rob Smith, landman, is still working for Antero? I left a message on the phone # I have but the voice mail identifier is a telephone number and I have not gotten a return call. Next question, for anyone who still has post production costs in their leases: My first royalty statement, the deductions were 26% of gross, and the one I just received had 31% deducted from gross. I don’t know who I can talk to at Antero…but the leases they are signing now do NOT seem to have that clause? Any suggestions are welcome. Also Darin, the royalties I just received were for gas only. I was told there was no oil revenue for December 2014 or January 2015. Darin… You were told that yours was for oil only? Also got an interest check today and it’s just got to be wrong! Anybody else get interest yet? They show no calculation at all. Sigh!
Went out Rt. 50E to check on our camper this weekend. Truck traffic from oil companies was less than half of what it usually was on any given day. Also we passed a “campground” that held over 25 or 30 workers camper/motorhomes last fall and there were only 5 or 6 campers left in it. Looks like things have slowed down more than people imagined or workers have finished wells and moved elsewhere.
Darin., Here is the clause in my all of leases:
- Payment of royalties hereunder shall be made or tendered on or before the end of the month following the production month, beginning no later than (6) months after date of first sales.
While there is no specific remedy included, I was told they would pay 3% and my current wells all had first sales in July 2014. Also, sort of contrary to them telling me that they pay gas royalties 90 days in arrears.
Arnold, I have an email out to the accounting person Rob Burgess. I received an interest check on Saturday for (2) wells and it was paltry. The check stub shows no calculation as to how they arrived at that number. Do you happen to know how they figure it?
Hi Nancy, Funny you should mention. I just got off the phone with Tad in the land department at Antero. You are 100% right …as usual:) The costs are relatively fixed
Hi Nancy, Funny you should mention. I just got off the phone with Tad in the land department at Antero. You are 100% right …as usual:) The costs are relatively fixed and will vary with production of the well and market price. He said that they try to make up for this by paying royalties on plant products, which very few companies do. There is no negotiating on a signed contract, so if post production costs are in your lease, even though they are granting leases now without them, they won’t budge.
Jim, if you get a copy please tell us how you did, from the company or from Doddridge. Others need to know.
Oh, another interesting tidbit from Antero on Friday. After finally receiving a royalty check on a unit that started producing in mid-2013, I inquired about an interest payment. I was informed that interest will only be paid on wells that came online after January 1, 2015. She said that the required “time to pay” is within 7 months of production. Anyone else heard anything contrary to this?
Darin, I have received interest payment (3%) on four wells that went on line in 2013, and recently received Royalty checks.