Hi, we have inherited a statement of claim for the mineral rights for Township 155 North, Range 95 West, Section 30: SE 1/4. We are interested in any information regarding this piece of land. We understand that this quarter of a section is most likely shared and would like to know the 'effective/net' area and the likelihood of royalties/leases.
Thanks in advance and best wishes from Norway
Audun
You section is in the middle of CAPA Field. Usually a 1/4 section is 160 acres, but you may be sharing it with many others. Did you get something that says something like " 1/32 of undivided interest of…." Then you can figure out the net mineral acres. Looks like you have two old wells on your part which produced for a while and are now plugged and abandoned. The yellow lines are horizontal wells. Several have spud (surface hole) on your 1/4 section and have a bottom hole location in another section. Perhaps another one will actually stay in your section. It would be a good idea to contact the Williams County Recorder and give them your name and address to make sure that any information gets to you if more wells are planned or if leasing resumes. Also good to contact whomever you received the statement of claim from to get as much background as you can. Original deeds, copies of leases, probated estate documents, etc.
https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/ is the website to see what is going on in North Dakota. You can find your section on the GIS Map Server.
I hope this helps, you can not inherit a statement of claim. You need your own statement of claim. You already have a decent well [FERGUSON SMITH 1-30H] for the technology of 8 years ago and the section has been held by production since at least August of 2006. If the claim by your predecessor is more than 20 years old the surface owner could reclaim your minerals, in which case it would be a good idea to record your own updated statement of claim, with your name/names.
I consider it highly likely that future wells with updated drilling techniques will be much more productive.
Thank you M Barnes and RW Kennedy for your prompt replies. What is the best way to establish effective share - or should it wait until lease proposal(s)... The claim is in my mother's name and was signed in 2006. It seems as was pointed out that well #16098 (Ferguson Smith 1-30H) is not ending on the 1/4 section we have rights to. Does the lease then relate to the location of the end points of the well? The other two wells (#1117 and #1214) are plugged and abandoned as far as I can understand.
Good to hear that there are chances of future activity with improve drilling technology. And thanks again for you kind answers. I'll check with my familty for more documentation...
best regards
Audun, Norway
M Barnes said:
You section is in the middle of CAPA Field. Usually a 1/4 section is 160 acres, but you may be sharing it with many others. Did you get something that says something like " 1/32 of undivided interest of…." Then you can figure out the net mineral acres. Looks like you have two old wells on your part which produced for a while and are now plugged and abandoned. The yellow lines are horizontal wells. Several have spud (surface hole) on your 1/4 section and have a bottom hole location in another section. Perhaps another one will actually stay in your section. It would be a good idea to contact the Williams County Recorder and give them your name and address to make sure that any information gets to you if more wells are planned or if leasing resumes. Also good to contact whomever you received the statement of claim from to get as much background as you can. Original deeds, copies of leases, probated estate documents, etc.
https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/ is the website to see what is going on in North Dakota. You can find your section on the GIS Map Server.
The spacing is what determines whether a well is included. I didn't go back far enough to see the spacing on the P&A wells since they don't count anymore. You should be getting royalties for the Ferguson-Smith 1-30H since the spacing does cover the whole section. (Missed that yesterday-sorry. ) You may have to call the company and see what you need to do to get the royalties. They might be "held in suspense" if they can't find you. Amerada Hess is the company.
The statement of claim should look something like this: attached a blank for you
You will need to refile in your own name with an exact description of the acreage (which should be on the first one you have.) Send it to the Williams County Recorder 205 E. Broadway PO Box 2047 Williston ND 58802 . Double check the address because it has been a few months since I sent mine in. If you only have this one set of acreage, it is $10 (US) for the first page and the first five sections are free. You will probably have to also contact the Recorder and ask them how to establish you as an heir. You may have to send an "Affidavit of Heirship" or probate documents or something like that. Each state has their own laws. If you have more acreage, you will have to file a statement of claim in every county. You can list multiple tracts on the letter to each county, just need to pay them the correct amount. I also sent the form by certified return receipt mail and enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope and they returned the filed and stamped document back to me. I scanned it and put it in my computer files and kept the original. You may have to file again in 20 years (or your heirs). Tell them to keep an eye on the rules at that point. They may not have to if it is still producing. This should get you started.
2143-STATEMENTOFCLAIMOFMINERALINTERESTNorthDakota.docx (16.7 KB)M Barnes, thank you for all you do. The laterals off that well were not visible until I bored in. To all appearances it looked like a vertical well outside of the subject quarter section. Thank you again. I wish I could give you a ribbon.