Ritchie County, WV - Oil & Gas Discussion archives

We have had the same experience Paul. Allstate Energy is the company that will not respond to our calls, mail, or issue payment. I have made 3 attempts to contact Windom Law as Nancy suggested and I can’t get a return call from them. It’s so very frustrating. I don’t know what to do next or where to go for help. I would appreciate any guidance or suggestions.

Sounds like the WV attorneys are too busy...

Here is a name I have heard recommendations about

Dean Rohrig, Tyler County attorney

He is in Tyler County, the next one north of Ritchie.

Thanks Nancy! I’ll give them a call tomorrow.

Just a note on these companies. Some of them are on shaky ground due to low prices. They dove in figuring to make millions and now with prices going down they are hurting. Some royalty checks have shrunk as much as 75% in the last several months. May be why they are not paying the owners. They may be paying their creditors instead. We can hope for better results this year.

I have heard some negative things about Allstate, as well. No direct dealings with them, just somebody's comment. Same kind of thing, though.

Wow...

The WV House of Delegates are trying to ram more legislation through to profit the production companies.

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20160220/GZ01/160229930

Yes, they may try to ram this through or use it as a ruse to get more support for the more discussed Forced Pooling bill. Notice how not friendly bills always get shoved through on weekends. I hate to point a finger but I will. The republican majority in there now are not helping owners. One way or another the oil/gas companies will get their way.

Wow! Scary.

Well, forced pooling is dead this year. Pat McGeehan thinks it may be dead for good. If I might be so bold, I suggest everybody give him a call or email him to thank him. He was the leader of the group of legislators that opposed it, and did great work both last year and this year to make sure it didn't pass.

Good info, Kyle. Yes Pat McGeehan is a friend of the people.

I believe those in charge did not want to mess with bills that they could not push through easily. Forced pooling did not make them look good. Right to work and prevailing wage and concealed carry were their crowning achievements to build for next year. I think once prices go back up and big money starts flowing again, we will see some sort of push for infringing on owners rights. Oil/gas topics are on the back burner now. Notice there is very little talk lately about this. The companies are just trying to stay alive now and hoping things turn around. They spent millions of dollars in this area and "someone" will expect dividends.

Thanks for the great news, Kyle. Pat’s email address is pat.mcgeehan@wvhouse.gov

Thought I'd update what has happened between me and ARC's lawyers since I was first informed in early January that my name was listed as one who had inherited property/mineral rights in Clay District: NOTHING! I was told to contact a named person at Antero by January 6, which I did and there was no response. The lawyer will not respond either. While recently writing another flaming letter to that lawyer the other day I for the first time noticed that the contract indicated that I had inherited the land from MY uncle, not my grandmother. Sent an email suggesting they should look into the facts before sending contracts as why would I have inherited from an uncle who has/had three sons and a daughter? How did my uncle inherit the land and not his five sisters and one brother, THEN from my mother to me? Until they can prove to me that I did inherit from my uncle I will not even talk about contracts as my uncle was known to owe quite a bit of $$$ when he died, had over 20 step children that the family has heard about, and how many other children? rcr 3/24/2017

Roger Roberts, It might be that they made a mistake on your lease. I have seen some leases where it lists where the person got the interest from, and it is like a form to fill out. Maybe the landman preparing the lease for you kept the information about your uncle from another lease he / she was preparing for one of the children of you uncle on the form when he changed the name to your name. I think that could happen.

Call Antero in Denver Colorado at 303 357-7310 and see if you can get someone to talk with you.

I am looking for any data, information on oil and gas leasing, etc. in the Murphy and Grant districts of Ritchie. Any information will be appreciated. I co-own mineral rights and land on 142 acres in this area.

Roger,

Do you know what area of Murphy & Grant District the parcel(s) is located?

Currently both Murphy & Grant are not 'hot' areas of Ritchie County and I do not know of any major expansion of shallow wells in the county. What limited insight I have received has been, depending on the location, it will be 5 - 15 years before there will be exploration of the deep layers in the two districts. One of the greatest issues is the lack of pipelines to transport product from those two districts.

I don't have a map handy, and franklin haven't spent much time trying to figure out where anything is in Ritchie. I believe the Clay District is the small "arm" of Ritchie County pointing NE between Doddridge and Tyler County. Have not heard of the districts you mentioned before now. I seriously doubt is the Clay District is "hot" either.

Nancy, funny you should mention my uncle's children. I do know that with his first wife there were four children and three are dead. The fourth is my age and seems to have vanished after he had his name changed in court. I see nothing on the list of co-owners that would suggest he is a co-owner. As for the children and step children from his third and fourth marriage (and the children born out of wedlock), I do not see any given names with his surname which suggests all of his off springs did not inherit. His older brother was married three times, my first cousins were from his first two wives. When the second died he was picked up by a woman in a bar where he had stopped after the funeral. Married her, she decided she could not live with his ex-wife's furniture, he bought all new furniture.

Then she moved her adult daughter into the house. He came home from work and "noticed" that the house was empty of furniture, wife and step daughter were missing.

He tracked them down and the court forced her to pay for the furniture/granted a divorce. But something was overlooked.

At some point in the short marriage she had him change his will so that she would inherit everything, his children got nothing. No one noticed until these lease contracts started showing up in our mailboxes.

His children are outside of all the lease contracts and do not get a cent!

rcr 5/8/2017

Roger Roberts,

Clay district is extremely hot, especially north of Rt. 50. Parcels are fetching a premium in Clay District and I suspect Nancy will confirm my assessment.

Interesting. By the way they were delaying the contract I thought it might be the other way round. rcr 5/8/2017