I just received 2 Legal documents from Elias, Brooks, Brown & Nelson representing Continental. First one is a document seeking relief to “Establish Laydown 1,280-Acre Horizontal Drilling and Spacing Units” for Sec 26 & 27 in Caddo County. Second is same Lawyers for Continental seeking relief “Multiunit Horizontal Well” in Caddo County sec 22, sec 26 & 27, sec 34 &35 all in 10N-10W area.
The envelopes are addressed to Known and Unknown Heirs of my Dad and his Aunt in my care.
Am I right Continental is seeking to adjust the spacing order in these sections to drill the horizontal well and any future vertical wells? Am I fixing to get a Pooling Order or another lease in the mail?
Here is the well path and the spacing units.
Did you Dad or Aunt pass? Or are they still living? The mineral owners will need to watch for the pooling that will come soon. If living, they need to contact the attorneys and give new address. If you are handling their affairs, then keep up with the mailings.
If they passed, then were there probates? If there are new heirs, they need to contact the attorneys and give them their names and addresses. If no probate yet, then need to hop on it if there are wills or file an affidavit of heirship at the Caddo county courthouse if no wills.
The pooling needs to be answered in the 20 days or the heirs will be assigned the lowest royalty which is not optimal. These can take time, so the pooling needs to be answered with either a probate number or a copy of the affidavit to get the royalty locked while the details are worked out by finalized probate or the affidavit.
The Aunt died 1967, Dad passed 2003. I filed an Affidavit in Caddo County in 2005. I am in the process of probating the wills of my Grandfather, his Sister, and my Dad’s in Caddo. The probate papers were filed last Wednesday. I just signed a lease with Continental back in June for Sec 18-10N-10W in Caddo. I emailed my Lawyers a PDF copy of the letters I received yesterday.
So Continental will pool all the owners versus signing leases? Do I need the advise of a lawyer to answer the Pooling notice?
If you are leased, then you will not need to answer the pooling as you will probably not be on the respondents list. Occasionally, the respondents list is off timing with those who already leased, so if I find my name on it, I will send a letter in response notifying that I leased on "such and such date "with “so and so” for xx royalty “for their records”.
I may have not made things clear, I signed a lease on a different Tract in the same area of 10N-10W. This order concerns sec 27-10N-10W which I also own. So I assume I will need to get together with the Lawyer once I get the pooling Notice. So research says this well is ready to be drilled but needs permission, is that right? Thanks for you time Ms Barnes
OK, that is more clear. You need to either lease with Continental or another lessee (which often give better terms) or pool with Continental. Suggest that you get with the attorney now to save time. Most of us would pick the highest royalty rate. The draft lease will not be in your favor and needs significant edits.
I see at least four other agents who have already filed leases in that section, the highest royalty so far was 20%.
