I am trying to find what Percentage of a lease my grandfather owned. It started back with his great grandfather and I am not finding anything at county records. I am looking at buy my family out. Is there someplace to look for those documents.
You have a couple of options. One is to go to the county court records and “chain” the interest from where your great grandfather received his interest forward to current ownership. Second option is to hire a landman to help you determine ownership. Third, if there is production on your interest, you can calculate ownership based off a division order. In the alternative you can contact a division order analyst of the operator of the well or wells and verify ownership. If there is production, the operator should already know what you and your family owns.
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Thank you. From the documents I have found on it from 1907 original lease till now never mention any percentage of any of them actually had. So I ll get the division order and go that way. I have contacted several landsmen to see about looking it up but 1 can’t take on a more right now and the others haven’t called back.
You will need to research the deed history from the first owner forward through your great grandfather and then through his heirs. In Texas, the deed history is from sovereignty forward. This may vary in other states. For example, A as first owner had 100% and then granted deed into B and C, equally. Then B and C each owned 1/2. If C granted deed to Great Grandfather for all of the tract, then GG only received 1/2. This would be further subdivided through his heirs. Oil and gas leases describe the entire tract and do not list the net mineral interest of the owner.
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My experience is that division order analysts tend to do a very good job determining the interest. If there net mineral acres seems far off it is good to check.
I ended up hiring a O&G legal information researcher recommended by several lawyers & title insurance company that they use for O&G leases.
Could you tell me who you hired, please. I have done most of my research and have documentation, just need someone to help me sort thru and answer questions. I contacted one lawyer who told me I don’t own enough for her to bother. Don’t want to spend 50 percent of value, trying to find out what is there. Thank you.
Anderson legal information. Arthur Illinois. I don’t have the number in my phone.
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