Drilling Activity in N Anderson County

While I was out Friday, a land man left a voice mail message wanting to discuss leasing my land in Anderson Co. Before calling him back next week I decided to look into the current oil and gas activity in the area and stumbled across this forum. I'd like to first thank many of you including Clint Liles, John Cundieff and others who posted very helpful information about Anderson County.

I own the surface and part minerals of a 95.1 ac. tract in James Hall Survey A-29 located about 1/4 mile west of FM 315 and about 1.3 mi. SW of Brushy Creek. In 1979 I leased to Marshall Exploration and in 1982 they drilled and completed the Wallace #1 well which initially flowed 477 B/D of oil from 10,455-10,468 ft. in the Rodessa formation, Pert (aka Purt) West Field. The well's production declined rapidly, it was put on gas lift within a few months, last produced in 1988 and was then plugged and abandoned. The call Friday was surprising to me in that this was the first time since I originally leased in 1979 that I had been contacted about oil and gas leasing. The call initially didn't make sense to me and my purpose in this discussion is to try and figure out what prospect(s) the companies are going after in the N part of Anderson Co.

From this forum I have learned the Sally Klotz Stone well, located in the Jose Pineda Survey 4 mi. SW of Frankston and originally drilled as a wildcat well, has produced 75 B/D from the Massive Anhydrite formation at 10,940 ft. and is now classified Fairway Field. This well is about 6.5-7 miles NE of my property and is producing from a formation above the Rodessa although the well is deeper than from the Rodessa as produced at the Wallace. There are numerous faults in the area including one under my property which might account for this.

A 2nd wildcat well now being drilled, the Walter H. Lade Heirs in the G. B. Gray Survey A-306 and 2.3 mi. E of Brushy Creek is permitted to 12,000 ft. This well is about 3.5 NE of my property.

A 3rd wildcat well is the Holcomb 1R in the Anderson County School Land Survey A-75, 11 miles W of Frankston and permitted to 11,000 ft. This well is about 6 miles NW of my land.

I am not a geologist but am speculating that the present activity in N. Anderson Co. is to target the productive formations of the Fairway field and to possibly extend the Fairway field itself to the S and W. The Fairway formations, from the top down, include the Massive Anhydrite (from which the Sally Stone produces), the Rodessa (from which the Wallace produced), the James Lime, the main producing reservoir of the Fairway Field, and the deeper Pettet.

Below is a link I found to a technical presentation (most of which is incomprehensible to me!) on the Fairway Field but note in particular the productive formations listed on page 5 and their relative depths on page 10, the Brushy Creek diapirs or salt intrusions on the maps on pages 7 and 8 and the overall Fairway Field layout on page 13. I believe the Sally Stone well is located some distance and roughly S of the Humble 1 Milner dry hole.

The Holcomb Well is in the next survey W of the Issac Field and is off the map to the W.

The Walter Wade Heirs well is south of the map by probably 1-3 miles and E-W located approximately midway between the Humble Milner and the Issac Lindsey Field.

With respect to my property, since Marshall depleted the Rodessa and would have recompleted the well in the Massive Anhydrite if it were prospective since they undoubtedly logged the well before completing it, my best conclusion is the most likely target formations on my property would be either the James Lime or the Pettet since these formations should be at 10,500 ft+ depths and all 3 of the current wells (Stone, Wade and Holcomb) were permitted to 11,000-12,000 ft.

There is also Cotton Valley production in Anderson Co. to the W near Tennessee Colony but it is deeper than 13,000 ft. and so I don't believe any of the current drilling is targeting it. Also, the sour Smackover production to the N in Henderson Co. would be deeper yet in Anderson Co. and so that would be ruled out. This leaves only the James LIme, Pettet or possibly the Travis Peak. The Blackfoot Field to the NW of me produces from the Rodessa, Pettet and Travis Peak.

I would appreciate hearing any additional views or perspectives on what the companies might be exploring for. As noted, I'm by no means experienced in geology and quite possibly am way off base in my analysis. Thanks.

Charlie Wallace

http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/documents/2008/08092webster/ndx_w...

Charlie, I enjoyed your comments,very interesting stuff. I leased our land just west of Neches a year ago to Graem resources as did many other people. Their leases are north to north east of us and I know a few leases over in Cherokee Co. around Carrey lake. Last week a fellow who lives in Virginia commented that he had been offered a lease from Graem so they are really reaching out. These leases are $150 and 1/5th but up in your part of the county they are going for $200 to $250 but not from Graem as far as I know. I have a big Anderson Co, (east half) survey map and I have been tracking drilling activity for many years if it is near my stuff. The Hall survey is big,about 2800 acres) and there hasn't been much activity there but in the Soloman Bolin survey which joins the Hall survey on the SE corner there have been some good oil wells brought in back in 2002 and 2003. The Elrod #1 was a 12,957 ft. horizontal well that was producing 180 barrels a day when it first came in and the Brushy Creek #2 was a 12,245 ft. well but I never knew what it made. These wells produced from the West Rodessa. There has been a lot of disscussion about"Eaglebine" which is coined from Eagle Ford and Woodbine. In south Texas drillers going after natural gas a few years ago would often hit "oil windows" while drilling the Eagle Ford. This was Woodbine sand formations and as gas prices fell off the charts they started going after the oil, hence eaglebine. There has been a lot of eaglebine activity down in Leon, Madison, Walker, Grimes, Milam,Burleson,Lee and Brazos counties with some huge wells brought in. I got a map off the internet a year ago from a website by ZaZa energy and it detailed Eaglebine possilbilities all the way from south Tex up to our area includung all of Anderson with the exception of the very NW corner. A landman friend of my son told him that is the reason for all the leasing in our area. I have a very old un-used geology degree and have done a little research and because the Eagle Ford and Woodbine formations here in east Tex are not as deep nor do they have the thickness that they do south of us I can't let myself get to excited. But with all this new technology who knows what can happen. But I say bring it on as I am 76 and kind of in a hurry.Welcome to our forum and continue to offer info as I will. John

Thanks for the reply and the useful information, John. Your geology degree certainly trumps my 1 month geology course when I was a Shell Oil engineering trainee back in 1964.

Good to know about the 1/5 royalty and $200-250 in my area. In 1979 I was originally offered 1/6 but was able to negotiate 3/16 and $50/ac. My neighbor to the West, Bruce Brookshire (one of the Brookshire Bros. of the grocery chain), held out and got 1/5 but unfortunately the well on his place was dry. I would have had a few acres in the Brookshire 1 unit. Marshall had originally cleared a wellsite in the middle of the South 1/2 of my land but before they drilled, moved the well location adjacent and to the E and then cleared another site. I was really angry since they cut down some good pine timber (they did pay reasonable damages) but it was a good thing they moved it. Apparently, this was to locate on the good side of a fault. Brookshire's dry hole turned out to be on the "wrong" side.

You had mentioned the Elrod #1 and Brushy Creek #2 being horizontal wells. They are both pretty deep. Do you know if that is the vertical depth or the total length of the well including the horizontal leg? There were at least 2 earlier Elrod wells several miles east of me when the Pert W field was being developed. The development went from E to W and ended with the Brookshire dry hole. I'm surprised that neither the Wade nor the Holcomb wells are permitted as horizontals. I couldn't locate the drilling permit for the Sally Stone and don't know whether it is vertical or horizontal.

The land man who called me was with RWT Land Services. I'll try to find out the operating company he is representing and will let you know what they are offerring. I know what you mean about being in a hurry; I'm 72 and can't wait another 30+ years for the next big oil play! Thanks again.

Charlie

The Stone well and Brushy Creek are verticle.The Elrod well is horizontal and total depth is 12,957 but I don't know the length of the lateral. I get this info off the TRRC web and usually they have a plat of the well which would show the lateral length but I just pulled the Elrod #1 info up and the plat wasn't available.Do you know how to navigate the RRC web? If not, it is easy. Bring up www.rrc.state.tex.us .and then click online research queries under quick link then click on drilling permit form WI application query then click on Anderson Co at the top of the page then go to bottom of page and put in the dates you want to see like 01/01/2002 and 12/31/2009 and click on submit. The first page shows general info but then you can click on the lease name like Wallace and another page comes up with more info and at the bottom of this page click on plat . You can put in the dates your well was drilled years ago and see the info about your well. You can also click on production at the top of the page above the drilling permit box and put in your 5 digit lease ID number and get production figures. If you have trouble on this , my phone is (903) 586-1659 and email is [email protected]

Charlie Wallace said:

Thanks for the reply and the useful information, John. Your geology degree certainly trumps my 1 month geology course when I was a Shell Oil engineering trainee back in 1964.

Good to know about the 1/5 royalty and $200-250 in my area. In 1979 I was originally offered 1/6 but was able to negotiate 3/16 and $50/ac. My neighbor to the West, Bruce Brookshire (one of the Brookshire Bros. of the grocery chain), held out and got 1/5 but unfortunately the well on his place was dry. I would have had a few acres in the Brookshire 1 unit. Marshall had originally cleared a wellsite in the middle of the South 1/2 of my land but before they drilled, moved the well location adjacent and to the E and then cleared another site. I was really angry since they cut down some good pine timber (they did pay reasonable damages) but it was a good thing they moved it. Apparently, this was to locate on the good side of a fault. Brookshire's dry hole turned out to be on the "wrong" side.

You had mentioned the Elrod #1 and Brushy Creek #2 being horizontal wells. They are both pretty deep. Do you know if that is the vertical depth or the total length of the well including the horizontal leg? There were at least 2 earlier Elrod wells several miles east of me when the Pert W field was being developed. The development went from E to W and ended with the Brookshire dry hole. I'm surprised that neither the Wade nor the Holcomb wells are permitted as horizontals. I couldn't locate the drilling permit for the Sally Stone and don't know whether it is vertical or horizontal.

The land man who called me was with RWT Land Services. I'll try to find out the operating company he is representing and will let you know what they are offerring. I know what you mean about being in a hurry; I'm 72 and can't wait another 30+ years for the next big oil play! Thanks again.

Charlie



john cundieff said:

The Stone well and Brushy Creek are verticle.The Elrod well is horizontal and total depth is 12,957 but I don't know the length of the lateral. I get this info off the TRRC web and usually they have a plat of the well which would show the lateral length but I just pulled the Elrod #1 info up and the plat wasn't available.Do you know how to navigate the RRC web? If not, it is easy. Bring up www.rrc.state.tex.us .and then click online research queries under quick link then click on drilling permit form WI application query then click on Anderson Co at the top of the page then go to bottom of page and put in the dates you want to see like 01/01/2002 and 12/31/2009 and click on submit. The first page shows general info but then you can click on the lease name like Wallace and another page comes up with more info and at the bottom of this page click on plat . You can put in the dates your well was drilled years ago and see the info about your well. You can also click on production at the top of the page above the drilling permit box and put in your 5 digit lease ID number and get production figures. If you have trouble on this , my phone is (903) 586-1659 and email is [email protected]

Charlie Wallace said:

Thanks for the reply and the useful information, John. Your geology degree certainly trumps my 1 month geology course when I was a Shell Oil engineering trainee back in 1964.

Good to know about the 1/5 royalty and $200-250 in my area. In 1979 I was originally offered 1/6 but was able to negotiate 3/16 and $50/ac. My neighbor to the West, Bruce Brookshire (one of the Brookshire Bros. of the grocery chain), held out and got 1/5 but unfortunately the well on his place was dry. I would have had a few acres in the Brookshire 1 unit. Marshall had originally cleared a wellsite in the middle of the South 1/2 of my land but before they drilled, moved the well location adjacent and to the E and then cleared another site. I was really angry since they cut down some good pine timber (they did pay reasonable damages) but it was a good thing they moved it. Apparently, this was to locate on the good side of a fault. Brookshire's dry hole turned out to be on the "wrong" side.

You had mentioned the Elrod #1 and Brushy Creek #2 being horizontal wells. They are both pretty deep. Do you know if that is the vertical depth or the total length of the well including the horizontal leg? There were at least 2 earlier Elrod wells several miles east of me when the Pert W field was being developed. The development went from E to W and ended with the Brookshire dry hole. I'm surprised that neither the Wade nor the Holcomb wells are permitted as horizontals. I couldn't locate the drilling permit for the Sally Stone and don't know whether it is vertical or horizontal.

The land man who called me was with RWT Land Services. I'll try to find out the operating company he is representing and will let you know what they are offerring. I know what you mean about being in a hurry; I'm 72 and can't wait another 30+ years for the next big oil play! Thanks again.

Charlie

Charlie out of curiousity,I pulled up the Wallace well. It was permitted 8-24-1981 and completed 1-23-1983 but there was no plat available.For some reason, older permits sometimes do not have the plats. John

John, I got on the TX RRC site with no problem and pulled up the W-1 completion report on the Wallace. I wasn't aware all that data is online and appreciate your telling me about it. The "Nearest Well Comment: None" was incorrect since the Sammons #2 right across my E fence line was already producing before the well on my place was drilled. Part of my acreage was in the Sammons 2 unit. The Sammons 1 well farther E was a much better well than the other 2 and lasted longer but I had no royalty interest in it. The RRC online production data goes back only to 1993 which was probably about the time they were computerizing their data systems and so that data was not online for the Wallace which stopped producing in 1988. Some of the other Pert W wells might still be producing today and I'll check on them because there is a central compressor facility and dehydrator still handling a small volume of gas on the Sammons tract to my E even though both of the Sammons wells ceased production years ago. This is one thing I want to avoid in any lease. No gas plants, no central production and storage facilities handling production other than my own!

I'm really glad to have found this forum. Much more info and leads than I could ever have come up with on my own. Yesterday I accidentally posted my original comment on a general discussion forum rather than the Anderson Co. one and then had to copy it here. I really appreciate your help.

Charlie

Hello All....I'm a newbie to the forum....Just curious as to whether or not anyone is aware of any recent leasing/drilling activity North of Palestine around the Brushy Creek community (intersection of Hwy 315 and FM 837)? We have some mineral rights on approx 440 acres west of Hwy 315, along Hwy 837 and CR 4471 (TJ Jackson Survey A-1064, JH Evans Survey A-270, J. Cantrell Survey A-212, M MacDonald Survey A-542, James Hall Survey A-29). All of our leases expired years ago; however we just received an inquiry about the leasing of 40 acres at $150 per acre and 3/16 royalty which, per inputs on the forum, appear to be the going rates in the area. Any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Jerry, I have 95.1 acres all in the James Hall Survey A-29. My property is off of C.R. 446 and is south of you, probably no more than 1/4 to 1/2 mile. It is the 2nd tract of land downstream (east) of the large (maybe 100 acre) lake on Walnut Creek. The creek bisects my place. I have been offered 1/5 royalty and $200/acre for a 3 year primary term with an option to extend for another 2 years. I have not yet agreed to the lease terms and would prefer to lease for a shorter period but that might not be possible. There are a series of preceding posts on this site by myself and others. There is some drilling activity south and west of Franskston, mainly to the north and east of Brushy Creek by several miles with 1 well, the Sally Stone now producing. The folks on this Anderson County forum have been extremely helpful in providing information and suggestions. Good luck.

Charlie Wallace

Hello Charlie,

Thank you very much for your response. My family (Evans) came to Brushy Creek from Tennessee in the 1850's; thus, the reason why we have some mineral rights is several surveys. However, my direct relatives sold their last tract of land in 1971 when my grandmother passed away. This last piece was located about 1/4 mile west of the intersection of CR4471 and CR447...and north of CR4471. The sand-flats that I used to roam have now been replaced with a pine tree farm. Looking at the map it appears that CR446 runs thru or near what was once my grandfather Gregory's land which he purchased in the late 1800's. My grandmother talked of washing clothes in the creek and being afraid of a black bear that roamed the area.

Thanks again

Jerry White

Charlie Wallace said:

Hello Jerry, I have 95.1 acres all in the James Hall Survey A-29. My property is off of C.R. 446 and is south of you, probably no more than 1/4 to 1/2 mile. It is the 2nd tract of land downstream (east) of the large (maybe 100 acre) lake on Walnut Creek. The creek bisects my place. I have been offered 1/5 royalty and $200/acre for a 3 year primary term with an option to extend for another 2 years. I have not yet agreed to the lease terms and would prefer to lease for a shorter period but that might not be possible. There are a series of preceding posts on this site by myself and others. There is some drilling activity south and west of Franskston, mainly to the north and east of Brushy Creek by several miles with 1 well, the Sally Stone now producing. The folks on this Anderson County forum have been extremely helpful in providing information and suggestions. Good luck.

Charlie Wallace

Hello Jerry , Charlie Wallace gave you some good info about recent events in your area of Anderson Co. and I can add that they are paying more for leases there than elsewhere. We leased in Nov 2011 and got $150 and 3/16ths to Gream Resources and I know of many leases around me and over into Cherokee Co that got the same. We own 640 acres with 2/3rds of the minerals just west of Neches and this is only the third time since we bought the land in 1969 that we leased so I jumped at the $150 offer. I have advised many over the last year to not take the first offer. If you don't mind, I would be interested to know what company is wanting to lease your interest. I'll share future news as I learn it as I spend some time around the Round Table at the Neches store and you can get a lot of good news and gossip there and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. John Cundieff

Hi John......thanks for your response.......our family used to visit some relatives in Neches, but I can't remember their names as it was many years ago and I was just a child. Had to be someone from the Brushy Creek families....Evans, Elrods, Sammons, Wilbanks, etc. The leasing agent contacted my sister in Katy (Houston)...not sure which company he is representing or even which survey the 40 acres is on. Will let you know when I find out. My Mother, who lived in Palestine, was the "leasing tracker" for our family, and since she passed away in 1999, this "duty" fell to the wayside. Not sure how this guy found us. I am assuming he found our names and addresses on my Mother's probated will at the Anderson County court house.

Best regards

Jerry

john cundieff said:

Hello Jerry , Charlie Wallace gave you some good info about recent events in your area of Anderson Co. and I can add that they are paying more for leases there than elsewhere. We leased in Nov 2011 and got $150 and 3/16ths to Gream Resources and I know of many leases around me and over into Cherokee Co that got the same. We own 640 acres with 2/3rds of the minerals just west of Neches and this is only the third time since we bought the land in 1969 that we leased so I jumped at the $150 offer. I have advised many over the last year to not take the first offer. If you don't mind, I would be interested to know what company is wanting to lease your interest. I'll share future news as I learn it as I spend some time around the Round Table at the Neches store and you can get a lot of good news and gossip there and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. John Cundieff

Hi John,

I just received the lease papers in the mail. The company wanting to lease the land is RWT Land Services, L.L.C. out of White Oak TX. they are offerring the $150 per acre and 3/16 royalty on 40 acres in the John Cantrell A-212 survey, 60 acres in the James Hall A-29 survey, and 50 acres in the M. MacDonald A-542 survey. Have you ever heard of this company? They are not one of the companies who had leased any of our mineral rights in the past.

Jerry

john cundieff said:

Hello Jerry , Charlie Wallace gave you some good info about recent events in your area of Anderson Co. and I can add that they are paying more for leases there than elsewhere. We leased in Nov 2011 and got $150 and 3/16ths to Gream Resources and I know of many leases around me and over into Cherokee Co that got the same. We own 640 acres with 2/3rds of the minerals just west of Neches and this is only the third time since we bought the land in 1969 that we leased so I jumped at the $150 offer. I have advised many over the last year to not take the first offer. If you don't mind, I would be interested to know what company is wanting to lease your interest. I'll share future news as I learn it as I spend some time around the Round Table at the Neches store and you can get a lot of good news and gossip there and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. John Cundieff

Jerry, RWT is also the company wanting to lease my land just S and maybe to the E of you. I've been dealing with Greg White. I don't understand why they offered me 1/5 and $200/acre and you 3/16 and $150 with our land in very close proximity. I realize these fields are finite in size. To keep these boys honest, I have no problem with you using my name and lease terms in your dealings with RWT. After all, we're neighbors even if we haven't met yet!

I'm not exactly sure where your property is located and which road is C.R. 4471. I believe it might be the road that forks off to the west after 447 makes a right angle turn to the south after leaving FM 837. Get on Google maps, the view that shows roads, not satellite, and zoom in on C.R. 447 to where the individual property tracts are shown and follow it to the East where it dead ends. Then back up to the West on 447 and my property is the rectangular tract much longer N-S than E-W, the 2nd tract downstream of the big lake on Walnut Creek. I think from your earlier description, your land might be N of the lake, a bit West of me but still probably no more than 0.5 mile away.

You had mentioned the Sammons family. One of my neighbors on my east side back then was Eli Sammons. I met Mr. Eli and his wife when they were quite elderly and living in Frankston around 1982 or so. His heirs now own it and I have met his son in law on a couple of occasions. Some of my acres were in the Sammons No. 2 unit well which was just across my east fence line. My other neighbor on east and also to the south was R.E. Hall who had a couple of producing wells on his land to the east just off FM 315. He and his wife are both deceased and his heirs now own the mineral rights. The surface of the Hall land is now owned by Mike Wells who lives in Palestine. He told me he has no minerals. On my west side was Bruce Brookshire one of the Brookshire Bros. grocers. He had the twin tract west of me and right downstream of the lake plus some other land for a total of 350 acres. After they drilled a good oil well on me, the Brookshire well was drilled next and was dry. He did have some acres in the Wallace unit well however. I never met the people who own land on my N side but there was a pumping well drilled there after my well and a salt water disposal facility at one time near that intersection of 447 and what I believe is 4471.

Of course there was no Internet back in 1979 when I leased the first time and access to the type of information we have today was not possible. We had just bought the land a couple years earlier and I didn't know many of the folks up there. The going royalty then was 1/8 or 1/6. I was offered 1/6 and negotiated 3/16 and $50/acre and was really proud of myself. Brookshire held out longer and got 1/5 which was a starting point for me this go around and what RWT initially offered.

Depending on how bad they want to lease your place, I believe you should get 1/5 also.

Charlie

Thanks for the input Charlie....Greg White is also the person who is talking to us. I'll pass this info off to my sister who is talking to Greg and try to get what you are being offerred. I will be in Viet Nam visiting my wife's family next week and for the next 4 months. We met during the war while I was an infantry platoon sgt in the Delta. She and her family were actually the enemy...VC. I went back and found her in 2001 and we got married in 2004.

As to Eli Sammons...yes.....I knew he and his wife quite well. He used to cut my hair when I was a little boy and he was barbering in Palestine on weekends. My grandparents (Francis Asbury and Mattie Evans) place was right around the bend...approx 1/4 mile to the west on CR4471, just past what was once Woodrow Watt's place. One of my aunt and uncles, Martin and Lizzie Wilbanks lived right across from Eli's place...back up the road to the east. My Uncle Roy Evans used to take me swimming in a creek on Eli's land. I guess that my Mom probably grew up with Eli and his family. You are correct abour CR 4471...it intersects FM837 a little past CR447...just past a place once owned by Horace Elrod. My great-grandmother was an Elrod. Looking at Mapquest, CR447 leaves FM837 right in front of the old Horace Elrod place and does a semi-circle turn back to the right to intersect CR4471. Depending on the road conditions, we would sometimes use what is now CR447 to get to my grandparents place, and other times we would use what is now CR4471.

BTW. I will have my laptop while in Viet Nam and will continue to monitor the website.

Thanks again

Jerry

Charlie Wallace said:

Jerry, RWT is also the company wanting to lease my land just S and maybe to the E of you. I've been dealing with Greg White. I don't understand why they offered me 1/5 and $200/acre and you 3/16 and $150 with our land in very close proximity. I realize these fields are finite in size. To keep these boys honest, I have no problem with you using my name and lease terms in your dealings with RWT. After all, we're neighbors even if we haven't met yet!

I'm not exactly sure where your property is located and which road is C.R. 4471. I believe it might be the road that forks off to the west after 447 makes a right angle turn to the south after leaving FM 837. Get on Google maps, the view that shows roads, not satellite, and zoom in on C.R. 447 to where the individual property tracts are shown and follow it to the East where it dead ends. Then back up to the West on 447 and my property is the rectangular tract much longer N-S than E-W, the 2nd tract downstream of the big lake on Walnut Creek. I think from your earlier description, your land might be N of the lake, a bit West of me but still probably no more than 0.5 mile away.

You had mentioned the Sammons family. One of my neighbors on my east side back then was Eli Sammons. I met Mr. Eli and his wife when they were quite elderly and living in Frankston around 1982 or so. His heirs now own it and I have met his son in law on a couple of occasions. Some of my acres were in the Sammons No. 2 unit well which was just across my east fence line. My other neighbor on east and also to the south was R.E. Hall who had a couple of producing wells on his land to the east just off FM 315. He and his wife are both deceased and his heirs now own the mineral rights. The surface of the Hall land is now owned by Mike Wells who lives in Palestine. He told me he has no minerals. On my west side was Bruce Brookshire one of the Brookshire Bros. grocers. He had the twin tract west of me and right downstream of the lake plus some other land for a total of 350 acres. After they drilled a good oil well on me, the Brookshire well was drilled next and was dry. He did have some acres in the Wallace unit well however. I never met the people who own land on my N side but there was a pumping well drilled there after my well and a salt water disposal facility at one time near that intersection of 447 and what I believe is 4471.

Of course there was no Internet back in 1979 when I leased the first time and access to the type of information we have today was not possible. We had just bought the land a couple years earlier and I didn't know many of the folks up there. The going royalty then was 1/8 or 1/6. I was offered 1/6 and negotiated 3/16 and $50/acre and was really proud of myself. Brookshire held out longer and got 1/5 which was a starting point for me this go around and what RWT initially offered.

Depending on how bad they want to lease your place, I believe you should get 1/5 also.

Charlie

Charlie....I now see the confusion as to CR447 and CR4471. Mapquest and Google Maps are not in agreement. My previous description of my grandparents land location was based on Map quest...which shows the old intersection of CR447 across from Horace Elrods old place and refers to the next intersection as CR4471.

Using Google Maps..I see only the only CR447 intersection on FM837 as FM837 turns north. Using this map, to get to my grandparents land, you would travvel down CR447 until it makes the hard turn to the south. At this point, instead of turning south, toward Eli Sammon's old place, you would continue west on what used to be an unpaved road...probaby still is. About 1/4 mile down the road, on the north side was my grandparent's place. If you look at Google Maps in the Satellite view, you will see what appears to be several building on the left (south) side of the road with what appears to be an orchard. This land used to belong to one of our relatives, Carl Williams. A little futher down the road was another distant relative, Nora Rogers and her family. My grandparents old house used to sit almost across the road from the previously identified "several buildings and orchard". I haven't been up there in quite a while. Never could get over my aunt (who had power of attorney) not waiting until I could get the money to buy my grandparents place. I loved that place and used to spend every summer up there helping my uncle with his produce farming. Lot of great memories. Last time I was up there was after a family funeral when my mom wanted me to take her by the old home place...I did and she was saddened to see that the old house had been torn down.

Jerry

Charlie Wallace said:

Jerry, RWT is also the company wanting to lease my land just S and maybe to the E of you. I've been dealing with Greg White. I don't understand why they offered me 1/5 and $200/acre and you 3/16 and $150 with our land in very close proximity. I realize these fields are finite in size. To keep these boys honest, I have no problem with you using my name and lease terms in your dealings with RWT. After all, we're neighbors even if we haven't met yet!

I'm not exactly sure where your property is located and which road is C.R. 4471. I believe it might be the road that forks off to the west after 447 makes a right angle turn to the south after leaving FM 837. Get on Google maps, the view that shows roads, not satellite, and zoom in on C.R. 447 to where the individual property tracts are shown and follow it to the East where it dead ends. Then back up to the West on 447 and my property is the rectangular tract much longer N-S than E-W, the 2nd tract downstream of the big lake on Walnut Creek. I think from your earlier description, your land might be N of the lake, a bit West of me but still probably no more than 0.5 mile away.

You had mentioned the Sammons family. One of my neighbors on my east side back then was Eli Sammons. I met Mr. Eli and his wife when they were quite elderly and living in Frankston around 1982 or so. His heirs now own it and I have met his son in law on a couple of occasions. Some of my acres were in the Sammons No. 2 unit well which was just across my east fence line. My other neighbor on east and also to the south was R.E. Hall who had a couple of producing wells on his land to the east just off FM 315. He and his wife are both deceased and his heirs now own the mineral rights. The surface of the Hall land is now owned by Mike Wells who lives in Palestine. He told me he has no minerals. On my west side was Bruce Brookshire one of the Brookshire Bros. grocers. He had the twin tract west of me and right downstream of the lake plus some other land for a total of 350 acres. After they drilled a good oil well on me, the Brookshire well was drilled next and was dry. He did have some acres in the Wallace unit well however. I never met the people who own land on my N side but there was a pumping well drilled there after my well and a salt water disposal facility at one time near that intersection of 447 and what I believe is 4471.

Of course there was no Internet back in 1979 when I leased the first time and access to the type of information we have today was not possible. We had just bought the land a couple years earlier and I didn't know many of the folks up there. The going royalty then was 1/8 or 1/6. I was offered 1/6 and negotiated 3/16 and $50/acre and was really proud of myself. Brookshire held out longer and got 1/5 which was a starting point for me this go around and what RWT initially offered.

Depending on how bad they want to lease your place, I believe you should get 1/5 also.

Charlie

Jerry, I see the confusion about C.R. 4471. Google doesn't show this road and as you said it is still unpaved but a short distance before 447 turns east and goes through a cattleguard, 4471 turns right (west). I've been on 4471 a number of times and as you said it loops back and comes out on 837not much past where 447 turns off. Interesting story about your meeting your wife in VN and going back there, finding and marrying her. I had a roommate at A&M, Capt. Tom Ralph who was a marine company commander and was killed in battle in 1968. Enjoy your trip.

Charlie...so you are Aggie. I'm a Baylor Bear.....Class of 1967. Glad to hear that you aren't a Longhorn. :)

Charlie Wallace said:

Jerry, I see the confusion about C.R. 4471. Google doesn't show this road and as you said it is still unpaved but a short distance before 447 turns east and goes through a cattleguard, 4471 turns right (west). I've been on 4471 a number of times and as you said it loops back and comes out on 837not much past where 447 turns off. Interesting story about your meeting your wife in VN and going back there, finding and marrying her. I had a roommate at A&M, Capt. Tom Ralph who was a marine company commander and was killed in battle in 1968. Enjoy your trip.



Jerry White said:

Charlie...so you are Aggie. I'm a Baylor Bear.....Class of 1967. Glad to hear that you aren't a Longhorn. :)

Charlie Wallace said: Right, Class of '62. Had our 50th reunion in May. Place has changed a lot in 50 years. No girls, compulsory Corps membership when I was a student. I lose no love for the t-sips. If they never win another game in any sport, that's fine with me. After a slow start this year, your Bears came on strong. Hated to see what happened to RG3 last week. I was watching the Redskins game when he got hurt. The guy is a class act. Really something Texas boys winning the Heisman 2 years in a row. I had mixed feelings about A&M joining the SEC, but after the season we had I'm surprised and happy with the outcome. I do miss the playing the traditional SWC rivals. We would have stomped tu in the Cotton Bowl but I dislike OU almost as much.

Jerry, I see the confusion about C.R. 4471. Google doesn't show this road and as you said it is still unpaved but a short distance before 447 turns east and goes through a cattleguard, 4471 turns right (west). I've been on 4471 a number of times and as you said it loops back and comes out on 837not much past where 447 turns off. Interesting story about your meeting your wife in VN and going back there, finding and marrying her. I had a roommate at A&M, Capt. Tom Ralph who was a marine company commander and was killed in battle in 1968. Enjoy your trip.

No Jerry I do know RWT and I have not heard of any of the others who are leasing. It seems that oil companies do not lease directly anymore, they contract leasing agents. I don't think you would compromise your offer of $150 and 3/16ths by refusing it because all the other leases I know about in that area got up to $250 and 1/5th. The leasing companies always offer a little less than what they will pay. When I was first contacted back in Nov. 2011, I was offered $100 and 1/6th and I think I was one of the first in our area to be called. John