The "Chiefs I was referring to was the Wv. Senate. I do not have the court info. I do know how the Partitions work. If only the courts would see that the oil companies are using litigation against owners for profit. Like I said before, the oil company will do whatever it takes to get that piece they want. They paid a stepchild signed heir to our family 1500.00 to get a piece of the pie so they could file a Partition suit. They usually go after an heir who is not a blood sibling. Then, after they run the course, they give it back.
What concerns me the most is, the oil company does not get all the names right and some people go missing. That makes for a mess when leasing and drilling is done. Let’s face it, some heirs will not be found. Records from years ago were pretty vague just like surveying.
They probably saw the results of other Partition suits. They have not been too successful around here. The law was not meant for mineral owners from what I can read. The way the company is getting them heard is, by getting an acre then, they are part owners of the tract. Here is the link to one that started the company thinking they might not win them.
Yes, that ruling did not take long to get to the oil company attorneys. I had to chuckle when I read it. I got to deal with one of their attorneys. They are no better than the info they receive which is packed with untruths. In these times they sure stretch a person into taking matters into their own hands. I have never Googled oil/gas/drilling violence but, I’d say there has been some.
Pertaining the division order that did not match up with the lease we signed… I spoke with Susan at Antero who agreed with me and explained that the division order was issued because we are NPRI (Non-participating royalty owners) of one of the tracts that was pooled with the producing wells. She wasn’t able to explain what that meant very well, but basically we get paid for no reason at all except it was inherited. We do not own the minerals in the sense that we have any rights to negotiate a lease, but we are due a piece of the pie. So no bonus money, no shared costs in production, just the royalty percent (she said was 1/8). I found a good explanation of it here: http://www.mineralweb.com/non-participating-royalty-interest-npri/ . She is emailing me maps highlighted with our specific interest and how they calculated the decimal on the d.o.
As for the lease we signed with no wells yet, she told me that two well pad units are planned, the Lyon on tract 5-14-23 and the Catherine on tract 5-14-36. (McClellan district, Sycamore Fork, near the Harrison and Doddridge boundry). She didn’t know anything else about the timing of developing them.
Stephanie, my family are NPRI owners in Doddridge Co. Central Dist. We were recently contacted about getting info to send out D.O.'s We are heirs of T F Twyman, could you be heirs of this family? I have talked to Antero and got good info from the courthouse.
Congrats on being able to resolve your questions and thank you for the link. I believe it is safe to say, your information was insightful for a few of us.
Hi Bertie, we are not heirs of TF Twyman, but of Uriah Ashcraft, through Olive Ashcraft and Earl Harbert for the NPRI. We actually have ancestors all over the place in this corner of WV, but so far only this and the lease we signed for the other tracts have turned up any inheritance. The NPRI d.o. covers the Statler 1H, Statler 2H, and Welch 1H wells in the McClellan district.
I just received a delay lease for my 1.33 acre interest in the mineral rights for a 100 acre tract in Doddridge county. Lease period was 5 years and the offer for my share was $480.00 with a 15% royalty. Company is EQT out of Pittsburgh. I live in Florida now and not aware of what current lease rates are and whether I should sign the lease. Seem like a small amount of money for the potential liability that may be involved. Also, many of the heirs are no longer living… what happens to their shares? Any help you can give me will be much appreciated!
I don’t recall whether the girls in the office shared the name of the states where those folks could be found or not? You can always ask. They may even give you an address. The billing addresses are public record.
Charles, I agree with everything Nancy states and will add one tidbit, having dealt with EQT on many levels. They threaten to file a lawsuit at the drop of a hat and use other bully tactics. Do NOT be intimidated by EQT or any of their representatives.
My experience has been, 250.00 - 500.00 in legal fees, spent on the lease, is a small price to pay for what a quality attorney can secure in a quality lease.
If they threaten a partition suit…I know about them. Lol The company talks about how prices have dropped and they can’t pay as much. Hmmm, they paid all of us a grand for a modification 6 months ago. Bottom line is, how bad does your interest fit into their plans? If it is top priority they will pay more and sue you quicker…
Charles Bailey, I am not sure what the going rate is now, but you should be getting a higher offer than that for both the bonus amount and the royalty %. Maybe at least $3000 to $4000 per acre. And, always ask for more than they offer.
About the deceased owners, their heirs would be getting offers when the company finds them. They have people who find these heirs.
You could go here to look in the Doddridge county online records which are not complete for the older records but have all the records for the last several years. You could look under the name of your ancestor who owned the mineral rights, and of relatives you know of, to see who might have signed a lease already. It is best to try to get as many heirs as possible to stay together as a group to negotiate a lease. You could more easily afford an attorney’s fees, and having the help of a good oil and gas attorney to negotiate for you or at least advise you will help you in the long run. Read as much as you can on this group, not just this thread but see what you find in the Doddridge County discussions. A very active group.