About four years ago I got a letter in the mail from Chesapeake Energy offering a lease option for mineral rights in NW/4 Section 3 in Caddo County. I immediately thought it was a con, but after calling Chesapeake and talking to the Landman, he named off a grandfather and grand uncle as original owners. Had no idea. Chesapeake eventually moved on and didn’t drill, but how do I pursue this further? How do I confirm ownership? Who do I need to contact to find any information?
If you want to verify ownership you will have to run title in the county records. You can hire a landman to do it for you, or you can do it yourself. A landman will cost quite a bit of money, but they have the knowledge of oil and gas terminology and will be able to do it faster. You could try contacting Chesapeake and see if they will provide you the documents relevant to your chain of title. They may not be willing to do that since they didn’t drill, but you could try. If you want to do it yourself, it might take a good bit of your time. I’d recommend checking out some other topics on this forum for more detailed information for running title. You can also do a google search for more detail.
John:
This is a land title issue. An attorney or landman can run the title and determine who has title to the property. Unfortunately Caddo county does not provide any method to search online. This means that a trip to Anadarko.
If it was in the name of an ancestor, then you may want to consider filing an affidavit of heirship (AOH). This should insure that you can be located by by leasing agents or landmen. Also if there is any activity or pooling with the corporation commission, you should get notice. However, in order for the AOH to create marketable title in you it must be 1) created correctly in the eyes of the title examiner; and 2) be on file for 10 years with nothing contradictory filed in the interim.
It is most likely that if there is production and royalties to be paid the company will require a probate. Oklahoma Probate Options
John, I own land in Grady County with no mineral! I get letters all the time wanting to buy or lease! My latest offered $13,500 for any or all! Then I’ve received checks for leases of mineral I don’t have. If I cashed it then I leased it! A Landman doesn’t always find the true owners of mineral! I don’t think mineral is recorded with abstracts anymore! Or at least on my abstracts there is no recorded mineral owners. I just own the land, surface!
When land is granted in Oklahoma under homestead (original owners), it includes the minerals.
Generally, the minerals are acquired with the surface unless they are specifically reserved. If none of the previous surface owners carved out the minerals, then you may have mineral rights. This is worth checking out in your locality.
Richard I just today seen your response! I was never notified there was a response!
Any way thank you for the advice! I just recently received a letter from Continental notifying me of their filing for a permit! I have received letters in the past from all kinds of people wanting to lease or buy but I have never received any division orders for mineral under this property! It’s section 17 6-5 in Grady Co. Oklahoma. There is one well in that section and obviously Continental is looking to drill another! Is it possible that the Landmen just don’t do a very good job?
You may want to search Grady County records here: https://idocmarket.com/GradyOK/Document/Search
You actually need a subscription to view documents
Caddo County does not currently have online search capabilities.
Would this still be the same process if the probate never moved in county records. Would affidavit of heirship be where it would start as this are very very old now. Probably lost a bit due to it being over ten years old. I have tried to find on my own but it is very complicated process.