Are the oil companies under any obligation to notify mineral owners when they decide to plug a well?

My brother, sister & I received a minuscule royalty check in Sept. this year which was for a slight difference in prices for May, June & July. I finally got in touch with the landsman for the area and was told that they had plugged one well and the pump had broken down on the other well on the same section so we could not expect too much for October either. Had I not inquired, I guess we would have just had to find out when we received October's check (which turned out better than expected considering it was supposed to be for only one well). The communication in general seems to be rather poor from these oil guys. What has been your experience?

I don't believe the operators are required to inform you prior to plugging if you leased and get a royalty check. However, if you opted to participate in the well and have a working interest, then the operator would send you documents for plugging a well since you would be invoiced for your portion of the expense due to your participation. Someone else may have more details and may correct me but this is what I have experienced.

Thanks, Pam. We are lessors and receive royalties. Still it would seem nice to know when expected income was going to stop.

My brothers and I have had a very difficult time when it comes to communication with either the landsmen or the oil company when it comes to our royalty checks not getting to us due to wrong addresses, correspondence concerning our lease and other issues. It has been maddening to say the least. It’s as if we are treated like the ‘peons’ in this whole venture. Most of our letters from the oil company come hand written with half the words misspelled. It makes a person wonder…I’m sure if they cap our well, we will be the last to know, and only by way of someone driving out there and seeing it first hand!