Snues, it does take longer when the well is truly exploratory. If there are 3 or 4 offset wells surrounding where you are drilling, you probably already know where you want to be before the bit hits the dirt. There are known indicators to look for. From looking at logs for several wells that had offset wells to go by, the verticle part of the well, although it's half of the total length of the well takes less than a week to drill and the horizontal part takes more than 2/3 to 3/4 of the total time to drill the well.
due to a death in the family, and a birth, I have been out of the loop (and out of the country) since March. We were dupted by sullivan in June of 2011 when they paid 2 of the 6 rights holders, and cancelled the leases the other 4 were holding.
How do I find out if there is any activiy or royalties being paid to the two who signed, and cutting out the other 4 of us? I'm in Ohio, and would not want to pay an attorney if I can get this information myself.
Shar,
Chesapeake (Sullivan was among the companies leasing for them) basically quit drilling in ND, there are still a handful of permits they didn't drill. Of the ones they drilled, the success was horrible, I think only one or two, that have minimal oil production. If you list your land description, I can see if your acreage was drilled or even permitted. Otherwise, if you check on the NDIC GIS Map Server, you might be able to find that data too. NDIC Oil & Gas Division Home Page
There were several others that also had some family members leased and others left with a cancelled lease before payment. Stark County does have a fair amount of drilling activity, with 6 rigs currently drilling, however they are other companies.
Shar
Sullivan is a CHK contract company and has been for years according to Dave Bolton's deposition. CHK most likely could not affornd to drill due to their massive loss on a ND project. CHK tendered by wire to Romac Energy of Longview Texas 5 million dollars. They then spent additional money in bonus pay to Charles A. Crouch he collected $9,368,126,20 and only assigned leases on 1712.62 acres. He then allowed that lease to be released for non-payment by him. Romac still retains $3,510,175.65 plus interest of CHK money. As their attorney Jared Barrett refused a closing on Mar 4, 2011. As a result many owners will never be drilled as Romac tied it all up in court. However they had no provision to prevent a closing but they kept the 3.5 m which is more than they would have made in commissions. However Crouch and his wife recieved 9.3 million in their personal checking account and to date have kept it all. I have copies of all wire transferes and why CHK failed in closing and drilling alot in Stark,HettingerDunn to name a few.
The legal court cas granting rights has this very confusing description
loys 17, 18 and the south half of lot 19 in block10, city of Richardton, Stark County, North Dakota
then it goes on to say: east 1/2 of section2, also described as lot7,8,9, and 10 and the southeast quarter and that part of the northeast quarter of section 11 more fully described as follows: Commencing at the extreme northeast corner of section 11, thence running south 240 rods along the eastern line of said section 11, thence west at right angles 106-2/3 rods, thence north at right angles 240 rods, thence east along the northern line of said section 11, 106-2/3 rods to the point beginning or the northeast corner of section 11; all of the foregoing in township 140 north of range 93 west of the 5th p.m., Stark County, North Dakota.
(huh! ;>(
I'm not very good at navigating this site, but someone sent me a comment that they were sueing Chesapeake or Sullivan. Would love to have a conversation with this person, but don't know how to get in contact!
Hi Shar,
I looked first on the GIS Map, and noticed nothing permitted at this time for your area or surrounding area sections.
I then checked with all the permits that I could find for Chesapeake in Stark County, and may have missed some, but of the 15 permits I checked, (some are drilled); they involve the Township /Ranges of:
T-137, Ranges--95, 96, 97, 98, 99.
T-138, Ranges--95, 97, 98.
None of those are anywhere near your lands.
There is an entry for 140/93/4 permit #21235 the company is BTA Oil Producers LLC, but it shows ZERO oil produced since Feb 2012, but shows 22,145 mcf of gas, in 2 months Feb & March, but zeros since that time. Not sure what thats about.
In the T/R to the west of yours, there are two recent drills since 2010, both with Dohrmann Oil For America and both are showing DRL status, zero production. I'm guessing they had problems with this, and haven't yet deemed them as a dry hole.
You could view your unleased acres as a "blessing", because you are FREE to lease to any other company that may be looking to lease that area. Your leased "family" members are currently stuck in a lease with a company that pulled out of ND, and unless Chesapeake sells its acres to another company, it's not likely they will be drilling within the timeline of that lease.
There might not be any company pursuing your area at this moment, but as quick as things change out there, that could change at any time. If interest does change, you could land a far better lease offer than your other family members did.
As for lawsuits, I'm guessing it's very likely, given the stories or trails of destruction that Chesapeake has left behind in many different states that they pulled the same stunts.
You can monitor the Stark County group occasionally to find out if any interest has picked up in the eastern part of Stark, and which companies it involves. Another venue you could check on, would be the state auctions for your specific area and which companies purchased the leases, and give them a call. It would also give you an idea of the bonus's paid for the area.
Shar,
I checked on the ND Mineral Auction site, for May 2012; there were leases for T 140/R 93 - Sections 5; 6; 8; & 16. All were leased by Cody Oil & Gas Corporation out of Bismarck, 701-225-1428. They paid $500 per acre bonus.
The $500 is a ballpark figure for auction leasing, and the individual mineral owner might not get as much, but at least you have an idea.
You can give them a call during business hours to see if they have any interest in leasing your minerals.
Good Luck,
Susan
Shar,
I may have sent you a PM about CHK lawsuits. I have some experience, if you send me a PM we can chat a bit?
Wilson
Hi everyone I have mineral rights in Stark County,138n 92w. Im hopeing to learn whats happening up there. Thanks in advance.
Did anyone lease with Summitt Resources of Canada?
Stay clear of all the companies involved with welfare driller Chesapeake. Matter of fact place a clause in any lease which allows it to be void should CHK end up with it. Further C.A. Crouch Companies LLC and Romac Energy,Stoneridge Inc or anything with Wayne Hartt,Jeff Thomas or Jared Barrett. These guys never close and leave owners holding the bag. Simply put they are flippers and always want to sue someone. I have over 30 owners Romac Energy LLC,President Wayne Hartt signed lease agreements with and never escrowed as agreed. I also have depositions of Chesapeake and C.A. Crouch should anyone need copies.
Thanks I still have 1yr. Left, so I will shop around.
Hi Shar,
I read the legal description of your mineral acres in sections 2 and 11, 140N 93W. These parcels are to the east of our mineral acres in the same sections. We got a call from Chesapeake in spring 2011 but did not sign any lease. I keep checking the GIS maps on NDIC and don't see much action in our area, drilling wise. Perhaps the recent leases filed for sections 5,6,8 and 16 are a good sign.
Did anyone have mineral rights in 138 92? Stark county.
Can anyone tell me whats going on by Richardton Nd
Here it is 2013, and so much has changed here that this is the first time I have had to check back into what is happening with our mineral rights.
My brother was found dead about a year ago, and although it was ruled natural causes, I have been making the 10 hr trip to his home weekly trying to clean up and close out his estate. That leaves myself and one of my sisters with interest in our mothers part of the interest in mineral rights passed on to her and her 5 sibling. ( there are only 2 of the original 5 living at this time.) A couple years ago Chesapeak made us a bonus offer that they never paid. They made it to 4 of the 6 siblings( or whoever held those rights upon their death) They paid the 2 living siblings, and did not pay any one else. I am confussed how they can do that when the will that I have a copy of where the father passed the rights on to his children read that all 6 had equal interest in the whole. I have no information if there is anything happening, and don't know if since I am so far away and so ignorant about all the terms and processes that are mentioned on this site I neeed to hire an attorney, or if that would result in costing us money we would never recoop. If I make a trip there, how do I go about researching the information and changing the rights out of our mom's name into ours? Contacting us would be hard as the remaining family that is there don't seem to be willing to keep us in the loop.
our lease for 139N 96W is expiring in a few days. Tried to contact broker who leased it but he is apparently in the hospital. Is there anywhere I can list my rights for sale? Like a classified ad or something?
Hi Mary,
I'm Jerry Anderson, a petroleum engineer for 43 years, I've inherited mineral rights from my grandfather who homesteaded in the area. Our mineral interests are in Section 25-T139N-R99W. No one has drilled on us yet, but I think you are in a bette area.
I would like to make you an offer to lease your minerals if you could give me the legal description of them in Section Quarter, Township and Range.
If you would like to adversite them for lease to ensure competition, I would just put an ad in the Dickinson Herald and include an expected lease bonus and terms.
Hope to hear from you.
Jerry
1 Like
Hi Mary, the advice below is ok but I wouldn't lock myself as to price in the ad, you might say best offer of three or five.
You can also post your minerals for lease on the home page of this site, scroll down to the bottom where it says listings.
One thing that perplexes me, as the owner of a handful of tiny mineral rights parcels, is what happens if an owner of a small parcel doesn't lease their rights in the pool. How do they handle this? Are there typically multiple leasing companies seeking leases in the same pool?