Good Morning,
I hope you don't mind me posting, but i could use some helpful advice and so far this is the only forum remotely close to the information I seek. My husband and I purchased some property about 6 years ago and placed a home on it. It had an existing well on the property. The minerals are federal minerals leased to first Oakland Petroleum, and now Vintage Petroleum. Do you know of any circumstances in which the surface owner has been compensated for the loss of their land? I know the minerals is the dominate estate, but they just came in and tripled the size of the well on our property! We are slowly losing our land :(
Thank you,
Tiffany
They are required to compesate you for any disruption to the surface and also return it at their expense after they are done. Gluck!
Mr. Curtis is correct. In California, the surface owner can not be run over roughshod by the oil operator. Vintage is a responsible company, and I'll bet if you contact someone in the land department in Bakersfield, you will get a fair hearing, and probably some monetary relief for your loss.
We inherited the surface and mineral on my father-in-law's farm in Arkansas. It's part of a unit. SEECO wanted to drill some more wells, expanding the pad into our land. The landsman made us an offer, which we liked. Is it possible they are drilling more wells on the pad they have already leased? We got an offer on Monterrey Shale between Maricopa and the Grapevine, but it was rescinded while they try drilling in the area.
The way I understand it there may be easments that they may use but if they are pulling up trees and putting in more roads you should recieve something. I would look at your Title deed and any easments for a start