My father passed away a few years ago and we found out that him and his cousins had bought some mineral rights in Divide County ND in the early 80’s.
The deed is being transferred to my sisters and I and I’m trying to determine where I go to research where this land actually is within Divide, what production (if any) is currently taking place there, and how mineral right owners remain engaged in the process. Is there a source for all of this? Below is what I know about the rights we own…
Thanks for your guidance. This is my first post. What do the numbers and coordinates below mean? How can I locate that on a map? How much land is it?
Township 160 North, Range 96 West
-Section 19: Lots 1,2 NE1/4, E1/2NW1/4
-Section 20: N1/2SE1/4, SE1/4SE1/4
Township 160 North, Range 97 West
-Section 26: NE1/4
according to the North Dakota Oil & Gas Division Page (https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/), all these lands are under current production. T160N R96W Section 19 has one horizontal Continental well and Section 20 has two Continental wells (#18445 and #20130) in the Hamlet Township.
The section 26 has one Whiting O&G well producing in Wildrose Township.
I would contact the County Court House in Crosby, ND for additional information and mapping.
As a way of staying current with activities within our mineral rights, we make extensive use of the website Mr. Larson lists in his post. It has monthly production statistics of every producing well in the state, which can be viewed individually or within its entire producing field. You can also find what's happening within your TWP and Section by simply plugging in your information. The website also has a daily activity report that details every days' activity in the State, which I look at every day.
If you call the Divide County Recorders office and ask for a copy of your father's deed, they will put you in the queue and you will get it within a couple of weeks, for a nominal fee of about $10. They are also extremely helpful and resourceful over the phone.
As a way of familiarizing ourselves with a new found inheritance from three generations ago, my sister and I took a trip to ND to view the property, the wells, and the office in Crosby. We also took the opportunity to interview a number of attorneys to help with probate. The trip was invaluable in getting us educated and giving us a good understanding of how to stay involved.
