Hello my name is frank sanders, I am a son of Lester Sanders who ownes some 22 acres in the Bottineau County, North Dakota. My father sign a Oil & Gas Lease some years with the Great Northern Energy , Inc. I was woundering if anybody near the Mineral Acres of
Township 163 North, Range 81 West, 5th P.M.
Section 02: SW4, S2NW4
Section 03: S2NE4, S2NW4, N2SW4, SE4
Could give me any information on the property , is in use or any information about the Great Northern Energy, Inc, in Bismarck, ND
Thank You
Frank Sanders
Hi Frank,
I work for an oil company and could maybe be of some help. The area of land you described had one well drilled on it in 1956 and that well was Dry. Technically, this doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot considering the technology from then to now isn't even comparable. There is a ton of activity to the south of your lands, so I would say you are in a good area. Not as good as some other counties(Williams, dunn, stark, etc) but still a good area.
Considering your dad signed a lease years ago, I would figure out when exactly he signed it and the length of it. You could potentially be able to sign another lease. The thing is--if you leave it as is, and a well is eventually placed on your lands, the royalty checks would go to the last known address and last known name on record at the courts--your father's. When did he sign the lease and for how long was the lease effective ?
Hello
My siblings and I also own 1/2 mineral rights at 163 North, Range 81 West in Bottineau County ND. I am interested in finding out more about the possibility of leasing the land for oil or gas. I also have the name of the owner (or former owner) of the land who owns the other half of the mineral rights. Can you help me?
Mr. Sanders, there is production in the Madison formation very near to you but from your legal description I don't think it involves your acres. Alot of activity southeast of you, a big dark blotch that at first glance at the map had me wondering what was going on.
Any news of drilling in the area of 163N 81 W NWSW sec 5?
There was a well from the mid 80's just below you in section 8. It was a Madison formation well that only produced 45 barrels. Madison production is somewhat tricky from what I have seen, I think sometimes they are in the right spot but have just missed it or would be successful if they just moved over a little bit. There is production 3 mile east of you and there is production 2-3 miles southwest of you. I wonder what they would find with todays seismic if they were to shoot your area. Sorry no exciting news for you at the moment.
Barbara dundon said:
Any news of drilling in the area of 163N 81 W NWSW sec 5?
Back in the seventies or eighties, a well was drilled on our land that produced some amount but was ultimately declared “dry”. I saw the description online a few weeks ago when I was researching it. I wonder what might happen today with new testing. We own only 1/2 mineral rights now as the land was sold. Do you know a company that might “do a shoot” as you say?
Barbara, there is the rub. The seismic would probably be too expensive for you to finance. Either a company would have to want to do a shoot on speculation or an operator intending to drill would pay for seismic. I don't know if it would do you any good to try and find a independent operator, but that is the best I can think of at the moment. The companies that actually drilled the wells near you don't appear to be the ones now operating the wells.
Barbara dundon said:
Back in the seventies or eighties, a well was drilled on our land that produced some amount but was ultimately declared "dry". I saw the description online a few weeks ago when I was researching it. I wonder what might happen today with new testing. We own only 1/2 mineral rights now as the land was sold. Do you know a company that might "do a shoot" as you say?
Thanks for your input. How do people go about finding if there is any interest by the oil companies for any kind of exploration? I see from my paperwork that the locations of our rights are 163 N, Range 81 West, Section 05, SW 1/4, Section 06, Lots 6, 7. My Dad (now deceased) had a lease many years ago from Empire but nothing ever came of it. The legal paperwork has all been transferred to me and my siblings. Would we be contacted if there was some interest, or do I need to check somehow? Appreciate any help you can give me--I really know nothing about this, but am very curious.
Barbara, them coming to you is the usual course of events. You are obviously interested or you wouldn't be here. I think the only proactive things you could do is try to find someone to lease you, but there seems to be little interest at this time, or cut out the middleman and try to contact a small operator who might want to develop your minerals. From my cursory look, it was small operators who have explored your area.