If your MR has multiple wells with multiple operators, how do you sign an acreage lease? 2/4 are currently paying off 1932 lease on operating wells, 2/4 (same operator) is paying more than original lease, but on non producing wells. Just curious has anyone had any luck consolidating all four? There are 7 shares total, three or four could be working together to make this happen…the other three are held by investors. Ideas?
Not sure what you mean Stephanie P. It sounds like the lease from 1932 is still in effect from the production. The payment for nonproducing wells, is that flat rate payment, your portion of the original $X per gas well? I guess they can keep paying even when not producing, depending on the original wording of the lease. If I interpreted your information correctly, your lessee (whoever is the assignee of the original lessee) would be the one who can do things with the lease, but for example if your lessee wants to drill a horizontal well and needs a pooling clause, you (and the other lessor heirs) could hope for a payment (“inconvenience fee”) to sign the modification.
Am I anywhere near interpreting your question correctly?
Hello Arnold, what was the name of the Antero well in the McCellan district? That is where mine is located. Thanks!!
P.S. I beleive mine will be named BANNER and TOBAR (sp) not sure of the spelling on that one.
We are currently “doing business” with three companies for 100-120 acres of land. When I see folks talking about leases, I don’t see them communicating the leases for a particular well but for their acreage. The other MR owners who bought the shares at auction didn’t even know there were wells on the land still producing?
Stephanie P, do you have the original lease? Do you have any documents showing how the current operators acquired their wells? Too bad that Doddridge does not have the old deeds and leases online.
Are the other mineral owners now getting their ownership of the minerals known to the operators of those wells?
Nancy, I have the original lease. I have a line of documents for 2/3 owners. (at least as far back as Doddridge County has online) Not for the one who is currently listed as operator for the 2 abandoned wells.
As for the other owners, I know who owns all of our family shares (seven) I know there is one additional share that belonged to someone else as far back as the 1930s, but I have no idea if they still have control over it?
I know my two family members know. I notified another owner/investor. 2 shares are owned by a current operator of one of the four wells. That leaves one other investment company owner.
Hello Folks,
I’m new to the group. Jerry Yaremko- Land and mineral owner- Long Run Road, Grant District next to Salem. I see some great discussions here…glad I could join.
Welcome Jerry.lots of good info and some very smart folks on this forum.
Called Antero for status on two wells, waited 48 hours, called again, waited 48 hours called again, Waited 48 hours and Low and behold I received a call back with all my questions answered. Bottom line, they did get back to me. Be Persistent. By the way, I asked them "how’s thing’s going?? the answer was “STABLE”.
Great question Stephanie P! Hope someone can find the answers.
Smiles,
I understand completely, I am looking to secure the same for my children / grandchildren on properties that the kin-folk once owned.
He’s right Stephanie. Been paying taxes on my parcels long before they were even leased. It’s when they start producing that the taxes increase appreciably.
Stephanie,
I honestly do not know how to answer your question. IF an operator / production company finds that checks are being returned or not cashed, they are required by law to place the funds in escrow. I am unaware of the specific time guidelines for WV, but there is a set time in which the State places the monies into their Unclaimed Fund. At this point, the State becomes guardian of the monies and that person my request the funds or an heir, upon demise. Again, I am unfamiliar with the specifics of the WV Unclaimed Fund, but was successful in retrieving monies, many years ago.
I cannot convey how important it is to have API Numbers for any wells on your parcels, allowing you to verify production, with the WVDEP website.
Feel free to contact me directly if I may be of any assistance.
WJ
I urge anyone who has mineral rights not in their own names to contact the county clerk’s office to find out what steps are necessary to take to get this corrected. If you are an “in care of” the good part is you are preventing the tax sale (unless some shady operator creates a second tax listing for your share…) But the bad part is, you should get it straightened out. Not hard, but takes some time. Several steps to take, including sending things to the State. And it has to start with the one whose name the ticket is in, even if that person has been dead 100 years. Ask for the probate clerk, the one who handles estate transfers. Do it now! There is a lag on tax tickets, so the one on the ticket for 2015, will be the one for 2016, and for 2017 unless things get changed before July of 2016.
Stephanie,
If you are interested in selling, I am looking to acquire parcels.
Wilson, sorry, I have no interest in selling. My interests are attached to property that belonged to my GGGgrandfather. The only people who will get these rights from me are my children. =)
Yes, Wilson is right
I understand the concept of paying taxes on your MR as you would on a property. BUT, what about those people who have a landman call them on the phone…they learn that they own MR? What happened with their taxes? If an operator makes no payments to the MR owner for many years and suddenly decides to make payment and report it to the county or they sell the operation of the well and the new operator wants to be sure that no one comes from the woodwork? It has happened. We have seen folks participating on this page that had no knowledge of ownership for years, but it wasn’t sold at tax auction. How does that happen?