Would appreciate everyone knocking on wood as it’s almost too good to be true, but Monday we received Division Orders on the 4 wells in question from Lario. After finally getting a reply from Karen Miller in Lario’s Wichita offices, this was taken care of in record time. Sad part is, it took since the end of last October so about 6 months with no replies, then the demand letter which still went right to the end of the 30 days, then miraculously a phone call, and voila, D/O’s suddenly appear. And the numbers were correct, another miracle, and to be fair, my wife’s father was not the best record keeper so feel fortunate to get this far with what records we did have. Ms. Miller is looking in to other interests in 6-8 other sections further west the family may have where Lario is operator including the sections currently making up the old Phoenix Grayburg field where we know they (the family) have an interest currently in pay status, and Lario is drilling multiple 2 mile, and at least 3, 2.5 mile laterals under the better part of the Phoenix. I have run every record database (like Texas File) I can find and have found no Pugh Clause recorded anywhere, indeed, about all I can find is my FIL’s recorded ratification of the water flood agreement in 1987. RamTex is current operator and they are supposed to be sending me the original leases so stay tuned. For those who read these forums, let our journey be a lesson for each of you…whatever interests you may have individually or as a family, however small, keep EVERY document from old D/O’s to (obviously) deeds, leases, ratifications, pooling agreements,etc., I mean everything. When my in-laws died within 5 months of each other about 12 years ago and we went to clean out their house, I can’t tell you how many of those types of records were literally tossed in the dumpster by the family just trying to find the desk or floor. Stacks and stacks of it. I found, myself, nearly $12K in royalty checks, unopened, some as old as 5 years, (most all of which were honored believe it or not). Also found a similar number of unopened tax notices. My wife’s grandfather and a partner bought the old Slaughter Ranch, some 26,000+ contiguous acres in north-central Martin County from the C. C. Slaughter family in 1957, surface and most of the minerals. Her grandfather was no record keeper either so my FIL came by it honestly I guess. Trying to re-construct all 63 years of the family’s wheeling and dealing have cost, just me, probably $2-3,000 just with Texas File at .25 or 50 cents a page. Just keep ALL records in a box even if you don’t want to organize it. Some day, some one, will need those records and will be willing to dig through them to prove the interest. I get it; when a Sprayberry vertical well was completed in the '60’s for maybe 20-30bbls at 8-10 bucks a bbl flush production, it was hard to get too excited. but now that acreage produces 1,000bbl wells from at least 3 horizons with as many as 24 wells across 2 sections, even an interest which starts with 3 zeros after the decimal can be life changing. The lesson here: keep your crap when it comes to mineral estates. Best to all, DB
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