Martin County, TX Oil & Gas Discussion archives

Martin County, TX oil & gas discussion group. Share your experience regarding lease bonus, royalty rates, drilling activity, and oil & gas news.

Does anyone have any experience with W&T Offshore?

I have on several leases. Is there a problem?

Mike,

I just wondered how they were in responding to mineral owners. We had a well completed on 11/15 according to the W2, it was tested pumping against a 12/64 choke with a flowing tubing pressure of 380 psi. It just didn't make sense to me, why pump through a choke?

LC,

It's common to test a new well on a choke. It gives the company an idea of the future well performance. Sometimes, when the well goes on production, they will continue to produce through a choke in order to keep the gas drive active which lets the well flow better. Other times, they will not use a choke (or leave the choke wide open) and just put the well on a pump. I don't claim to be an expert on chokes, but I did spend 30 years in the oilfield as an engineer.

LC,

I forgot to answer your initial question regarding their response to mineral owners. I've found them to be about average. Not great, not terrible. I've mainly dealt with them on royalty check questions and a little on the leasing negotiations. They have several leases on my family's minerals in Martin Co.

Mike Connel, I received the following response from W&T:

After drilling and fracing, this well was put on flowback on October 16, 2013. Due to various equipment hook-ups, freezing weather conditions and well clean-up, the well only had oil production from flowback for 13 days in October, 2 days in November and 19 days in December. The estimated 522 barrels of production into the flowback tanks through December is correct. However, because of the nature of flowback, the estimated production only had a yield of 423 barrels of merchantable oil during that period. The estimated production volume during this time period included large percentages of BS&W due to emulsifiers and chemicals used in the flowback process. Allowing for the downtime, the well averaged over 15 barrels per day during flowback starting at one or two barrels per day and ending at over 20 barrels per day.

For the first 14 days of January 2014, the well was still shut-in. On January 19th, the well was turned to the battery and normal operations began. Since completing flowback operations and turning the well to the battery for normal operations, the well has averaged producing over 40 barrels per day. Since the wells are produced into a central tank battery, it is normal to carry inventory in the tanks that will affect the volume you are paid on each month.

I have consulted our field personnel as to the pressures and test. The 380 psi is placed on the tubing by a back pressure valve in order to prevent gas interference on the pump. The choke is on the casing and the casing pressure is so low that artificial lift is required to produce the oil. It is being monitored by field personnel to determine the optimum choke size to use for long-term well efficiency and maximum production.

Please advise if you have additional questions.

Well, that is a pretty detailed answer!

I was impressed, I had just about given up on them. I have another question tho about the "...central tank battery." This is an isolated lease for W&T and the 1st well so I don't know why there is a central tank battery unless they are building it for the other 9 potential wells on this 190 acre lease.

Has anyone else heard rumors about horizontal drilling in Martin County? Is it the same as fracking? Thanks, Liz

I have received a production sharing agreement from Energen regarding horizontal wells to be drilled from Section 20 to Section 17 in Martin Co. Has anyone else received this PSA? I have additional information that might be helpful in considering this agreement.

Warren

Liz - yes there is plenty of horizontal drilling happening in Martin County now, although more vertical wells are being drilled than horizontal. No, fracking is not the same thing. Fracking takes place after the well has been drilled and casing is run into the well. It is a stimulation method to allow for better well production. Without fracking, these wells would be very lackluster.

We had an offer to sell 2 mineral interests in Martin County to Anthem Inc. The offer was for quite a bit more than we have previously been offered. I was wondering if there have been a more of the higher offers lately. How does one decide to sell or just continue the royalties?

I hope I have posted this in the correct place.

Nan

Once companies or individuals see that there is oil producing, there will always be offers and yes they go up as they also monitor the Railroad Website along with other websites that post that information. the usual way to determine is to ask if you want a big payoff now or keep getting a monthly check but here is one was to determine its worth (kind of)

Take your monthly income and divide it by your offer: its usually in the range of 60 to 80x worth (also depending of the company, because they usually spell that out in your offer letter)

Also consider how fast you could spend the money you would receive? Yes it might be a nice chunk of money but then you could buy a car, a boat, fix your house, pay off your house then think: when that money is spent there would no longer be a monthly income.

That's how we decide on not selling. There are many forms of actually getting around this also.

Only selling a portion of whatever mineral interests you have

or selling a portion with a condition of 1/2 yrs of sale being reversed.

Is anyone aware of anything significant going on in Martin County? Specifically I have noted that I have received 5 offers so far in 2015 to purchase my minerals supported by a 1% interest in a certain well plus of course the non producing minerals held. the offers have been as follows from oldest to most recent, all in 2015: $12,800, $56,300, $66,700, $66,800 and now $112,568.

I received 9 offers in 2014, 11 offers in 2013, 5 offers in 2012...

This vloume of offers is significantly more than what I redceive on many other counties.

We also have mineral rights in Martin county and have also had several offers lately. Seems strange in that barrel prices are still down. It would be interesting to find out what is going on.

I posted on this board barely over a month ago with respect to offers I am receiving for a well, an of course all acreage, in Martin County. The prior post was clearly showing an upward projectory as the offers for 2015 had commenced at $12,800, established consistency in the $56 to $66,000 range and then sky rocketed to $112,000. I have now received another offer and I am sad to report that it is showing consildation and pirce suppport with current offer up only 3.07% for the month to a current offer of $116,024.

This appears to value the well at about $11 million with excess acreage thrown in for free.

Is anyone aware of what is driving the interest by the acquisition company(s)?

I have previously posted questions as to what is going on in Martin County as I continue to receive many, many offers on a tract in which I own a little over 6% of the royalty. I think I have figured it out.

It seems that Pioneer is permitting many, many wells for horizontal drilling and seems to have found a way to make this work even at today's prices.

I would encourage you all to look up your tracts and notice what is going on around you and what is moving toward you.

Lets hope for pricing increases and higher negotiated royalty rates with "cost free" royalties...

Looking for someone who will be in the Martin County Courthouse that can pull a deed for me.

I have access to Martin County records. If you send me a message with your email and the volume/page you need I can send the document.