Back in 2022 my mom was offered $2,300 to purchase 100% of her right, title, and interest in the oil, gas, and other minerals located in Loving County.
Tracts: NW/4 and NW/4 of the SW/4 of Section 20, Block C-24, Public School Lands, Loving County, Texas
About a quarter of an acre Net Mineral Rights.
She did not take the offer; she made a call and received another offer of $40,000; which she did not take either.
Based on what I’ve read on this site, Section 20 has been producing since 2019. Everyone recommends contacting an Oil & Gas Professional to negotiate a lease. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
this smells like $$ in suspense, attributable to this interest, that one of the wolfpack has sniffed out and is wanting to take title to. Only specific homework will bring the facts to light. Do you have any of this in writing? If so, a critical item is the effective date of transfer…. which is revealed oftentimes only in the deed of transfer.
Taking title to $$ in suspense, (dollars already in the hands of the Operator, that belongs to the mineral owner), without the mineral owner understanding what is happening, is one of the oldest tricks in the books from unethical mineral buyers. Sad but true. On occasion, ethical players will explain this to you, but I’m afraid those are few and far between.
Pro help, specifically working for you, under an engagement letter, is the way to go.
Conoco Phillips Pistol 24-20 1H has been online since 2015. They have a new well called Shockwave Unit 2151H which was completed in late 2024. The buyer wants those royalties. Contact Conoco Phillips to see whether or not your mom is in pay status or if they are holding revenue for her. Also check the state treasurer’s office for unclaimed funds. You can do that for free and then see if you need an attorney. The sections around there have multiple horizontal wells permitted, so this section also has room for more.
Pistol well is in the E2 of Sec 20, so presumably doesn’t concern you. The first existing HZ wells in the W2 were online in 2023.
So your mother is unleased? Did COP/COG send you AFEs? If she is unleased, and she didn’t participate in the well(s), then her situation is a bit complicated. But all of those ‘23 wells have paid out, so if she was a non-participating working interest owner she should have been getting paid by COP by now. And certainly if she was leased, she should be getting paid by now. But apparently is not.
You don’t want to contact an oil and gas professional over 1/4 of an NMA. I mean you can, but to what end? If you are unleased, you don’t want to negotiate a lease three years after the wells have been drilled and paid out. Call COP and have them explain to you what your status is. Find out how much money is in suspense. Find out if you need to sign a division order or whatnot. Doesn’t make a ton of sense that someone would offer her $40k for 1/4 of an NMA. No math supports that.
The simplest thing to do is contact the Operator and tell them who you are and ask if they can help you. 9 times out of 10 they can help you. They want to get it right if they can. It makes no difference to them who gets the funds that should be distributed. I would not hire an attorney as my first option no matter what. Most things can be worked out with the operator. Just ask for their land or royalty owners department. They are there to assist.
Your mother may also own other minerals in Loving county. Sign up for a free TexasFile account and search the name of the person(s) from whom she would have received the 1/4 acre, presumably a relative by blood or marriage. Is your mother’s name listed as an unleased mineral owner on this Service List for COG Operating’s Shockwave Unit A well in Sec 20: