Look at granting or term clause in lease - The term is 3 years (or other primary term) and as long as production continues. It is very different from a rental or other contract. You get the bonus for signing and then once production is established, the oil and gas lease continues for many years. I have seen leases which have lasted 100 years. During that time, the only revenues are royalties. The bonus is a one-time incentive to sign the exclusive rights to drill and explore to the oil company lessee. You may have granted an option to extend in the lease. This option would allow the oil company lessee to extend the primary term for an additional period such as 2 years. The oil company will only pay an extension option if production was not established within the original primary term. If your current lease expires when production ceases, then you will have the opportunity to sign a new lease with a new company and get paid a bonus on that lease.