There are two different title opinions in the timeline of a well. The first is called the drilling or leasing title search. Some landmen do a spectacular (but quite tedious) job of clearing title before leasing. Some do not depending upon the requirements they are given and the timeline which they are given. Leasing bonus amounts are only a small portion of a company’s budget for a well, so depends upon how much they care about accuracy at that point in time.
The second title search is the very important one. It is the Division Order title opinion and is done by a different attorney’s firm because it is tied to who gets paid what amount for the successful well. This is the one that really counts.
Both can take weeks to months to accomplish based upon the complexity of the area and the generational complexity within certain families.