My sister and I inherited mineral rights from my parents. We have been trying for the last year or so to get in contact with the operator. We have called the number listed on the documentation that he used to send my parents, to no avail. We have a lawyer thats working on some of the estate stuff, and he’s even had someone trying to track him down, and nothing so far.
What is the next step? The wells are still producing, so my sister and I are potentially owed 10s of thousands in royalties. Has anyone experienced this before? What did you do?
The wells are in Oklahoma if that matters.
Thank you!
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It is quite possible that the wells have been sold to another operator. If you give the section, township and range, or the name of the wells, we can track the information down.
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First confirm the current operator of wells in question. If this is still the same operator, then I would contact the area OCC office for that county and talk with them. Email is probably the best method. They may have additional contact information.Once you get to the operator, then you want to confirm they are still distributing funds or is there a different purchaser for the wells.
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If this has gone through an Oklahoma probate, provide the operator with copies of the order that disbursed the minerals to you an your sister and have been filed with the county land records. Also provide your W9s and your parent’s owner number assigned by that operator. If you have not yet probated the minerals in Oklahoma search “Oklahoma Mineral Probate Attorney for [County Name] County”. If this was through a trust, providing a filed trustees’ seed should work.
Most operators have a website with owner relations link. If mailing, certified mail works well.
If operator has changed:
Finding the “Missing” Operator
Since the old contact info is dead, the operator has likely changed. You can find the current company responsible for the well by using the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) Well Data Finder.
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Search by Legal Description: You’ll need the Section, Township, and Range from your parents’ old documents.
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Look for Form 1073: This is the “Transfer of Operator” form. It will show you exactly who took over the well and provide their current registered address and phone number.
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Owner Relations: Once you have the new name, check their website for an “Owner Relations” or “Land Department” portal. Companies like Continental or Devon often have dedicated systems for heirs to upload documents.
Notice: Informational only. No attorney-client relationship is formed by this post. I am an Oklahoma-licensed attorney, but this is not legal advice. Do not share confidential facts in this public space.
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