My parents, now deceased, acquired a percentage of mineral rights for a section of land in Mountrail County. The deed itself shows one section. Along with the deed, there is a Ratification of Oil and Gas Lease from Company A. This ratification added two additional sections. This took place in the 1950’s. In 2005, company B purchased a 5 year lease on only the original section. In 2012 company C purchased the lease, drilled, and started pumping oil on the original section. I have been receiving regular checks from company C.
My question is: Do I still have rights to the two additional sections listed in the Ratification of Oil and Gas Lease? There are active wells on both sections.
Having not seen the actual document, you need to read the section that mentions the secondary term. Usually leases have a primary term in which they lease the minerals and have a certain time frame in which they can choose to drill or not to drill. If they drill and there is production, then the lease usually moves into the secondary term which lasts as long as oil and/or gas are producing. (Some leases have “in economic quantities”. ).
I am a bit concerned about the extra sections. You may have to do some title work to see how the extra sections came into the picture. A different deed may be filed in the courthouse or they inherited by a will.
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