Ted, people like you here and I think they are trying to help you. You are arguing with Mr. R.W. Kennedy for god's sake! He is an icon on this website. He just told you in a post he has 10 producing wells and 2 more being drilled. It doesn't matter if those wells are in Daniels or on Mars he has a lot of experience. He spends a lot of time on this website helping others; he is trying to help you. Please Ted, you have to calm down and take a breath.
When you started this post a whole 3 months ago you state clearly that "you are new to this" and you also clearly state "you don't have a clue". Honestly Ted, this still has to be the case because it has ONLY been 3 months. You cannot have enough knowledge or experience to argue. You can have an opinion, but rather than ramble on about your opinion and push your opinion you need to simply decide what it is that YOU want to do relative to Shale Exploration. You just posted that you haven't even signed yourself - you have to make that decision (but even you have commented your concern that everyone isn't onboard and see it your way). The problem is, you sound like a landman and you should, you have been talking to them and having dinner with them and you have heard their "word". It is just that.....words. I am not saying they will or will not drill, but I AM saying they are not the only choice and as RW stated, you or others do not have to lease today if you don't want too.
Now, I was very tempted to post on this earlier, but bit my fingers (tongue). You went on, in a post, stating about how flippers work - you described precisely how SE had operated and then you state they are not flippers. WHAT!??? I was confused, so I got out my dictionary and looked up flippers and after the definition of a fish appendage it said Shale Exploration. Now is that a bad thing? Maybe, maybe not. But what is bad is that they somehow are trying to lead you to believe they are not. Why are they trying to be sure you are convinced they are not flippers? because they have sensed you are not comfortable with the tag. Are they flippers? Well you said the leased all of this land and then "sold" those holdings to Apache. Hmmm.. they flipped the holdings for tidy profit and likely a piece of the royalty pie. Is that bad, well not for them it worked out nicely. It is bad for Apache, maybe not, they didn't have to do any work and they now allegedly have 300,000 acres off the sweat of Shale Explorations efforts. Why is this an issue - because they (SE) says it isn't so - because they are telling you they are not flippers. We don't like companies that are deceptive.
I don't have minerals in Daniels, I caught onto this thread because it is interesting and posted trying to offer some helpful input. I think people liked to follow your journey. But I would suggest you step back and rather then push your idea you try to learn from people here with a lot more experience. ultimately you have to decide; but the offers aren't such that you have to jump right now - for that matter let them drill one of their wells and see what happens. if they discover oil, your $150/ac offer becomes $1,500 , becomes $3,000, becomes $6,000. You have a very respectable amount of acreage; you should be proud to have acquired it. What is your rush to lease. Keep learning but do it by joining with us and learning with us and trying to make the best decision. I am not saying you are wrong, but I am saying you are following the unproven hype of the moment.
We like you Ted and like your adventures - did you do a movie! Good luck. Keep posting, but most importantly keep learning. ok?
Wilson