After selling my mineral rights - ORRI in Burleson county to Clayton Williams. They did not send the legal description, deed or anything. After the sale.
Now I am trying to sell the wells owned by Anadarko and Sheridan. The information I got was that Clayton Williams owns the Anadarko and Sheridan wells also. I never knew of this arrangement, since they belonged to my Dad's Estate. I'm trying to close the estate, and sell the minerals. I can't sell because Clayton Williams now owns these properties. I didn't find this out until I tried to sell the Anadarko and others. But no one wants to buy because they all claim to be the owner/operator of the interest.
Is it worth it to hire a lawyer since I would end up paying more than the royalties are worth?
Should I just sell back to Anadarko?
How could Williams own wells you did not sell them?
Wade, my dad got the ownership (ORRI) in the wells from Clayton Williams for work (Geophysical) consulting, instead of cash payment. I did not know about the overlapping interest Williams and Anadarko had in the Gold units in Burleson. I got this info from a royalty buying company who declined to purchase these Anadarko wells citing a screwed up "trail of ownership" between Anadarko and Williams.
I have no idea what happened, but I have another buyer interested. Maybe he will find no problem or at least I will find out the problem. I was just wondering if anyone else has come across this when selling royalties. I do not have original deeds, since my dad and Williams made this deal in the 1970s. Operators have bought and sold rights to many of the ORRI interests owned by my dad. They only send a letter with the well name, you sign, then they start paying you. I guess they are flipping leases or interests. Much like housing during the boom. I can't believe how loose the rules are for them, when I had to move these interest to dad's trust, I had to file paperwork in each county, paying filing fees that seemed to be made up. They ranged from $16 to $64. I consider that blackmail.
Unless it is a tiny ORRI, it probably makes sense to hire someone to straighten out what you own.
I see why ownership can become confusing when I read a description of the "ownership trail" on one of my division orders: "Clayton Williams leased from Ira Hildebrand et al recorded in Frio county and La Salle county. And as amended pursuant to Amendment and Ratification of Oil and Gas Leased dated effective August 24, 2003 between Turman Investments, Ltd et al as Lessor and Texas American Resources as Lessee recorded deed in Frio county".
Some of the wells are marginal, and some are really good payers. Over the years my dad's interest has been flipped again and again to different companies. The above is just one example. I doubt there is much oversight by the State of Texas, resulting in mistakes and plenty of opportunity to game the system. These companies should be a bit more regulated by someone.
I'm having a different buyer look at my problem. He is a distant friend of my husband. Maybe I'll learn something, and maybe he will buy!