Stark County, ND - Oil & Gas Discussion archives

Oil & gas discussion group for those interested in Stark County, ND. Share your experience regarding lease bonus, royalty rates, drilling activity, and oil & gas news.

I’m a mineral owner in Stark county, just south of Dickenson. I’ve had some very good offers for lease, but have not signed anything yet. I live in Chanhassen Minnesota, so I don’t really know the extent of activity in this county. Can anyone fill me in on lease activity or actual drilling activity?

Has anyone heard of any leasing activity in eastern Stark County, specifically in T140, R92 SEC 30 area, general region aprox 2 miles north of Richardton.

Most of the activity is in north western Stark. There are a couple of companies like Oil For America that are permitted to drill in 140-94 and Summit Resources in 138-92. I’d hold off on leasing for now and see how those wells do or see if you can get just a 3 year lease and maybe you’ll get the bonus, but they won’t drill you yet and you can release in the future for another bonus.

I see that there is no information about Billings County, ND. I am trying to add that county as well. Is there anyone that owns acres in this county? Seems that the northern part of Billings is very active with lease signing, with some active wells there too. I would be interested in any information or updates about this county.

Blanca Peak Energy, LLC is just a bogus front company created by RedSky Land for Chesapeake Energy. They do it like this where they can cheat the mineral owner out of his or her money like they did in Michigan. These same crooked cowards, Adam White, Dan Glashauser, etc, who are supervised by Joe McFerron in Edmond, Oklahoma, are the exact people who cheated hundreds of mineral owners in Michigan out of their rightful money. Here is some information about Michigan:

http://blogs.forbes.com/christopherhelman/2011/06/10/its-high-time-chesapeakes-mcclendon-felt-the-heat/

Blanca Peak Energy has been leasing awhile, with the document date of 10/29/2010 showing as their first recording in Stark Co.

To date, they've recorded leases in 6 ND counties, the majority in Stark with 599 recorded.

My question is, does anyone know if anybody has received the bonus payments, that were agreed upon signing the lease? Or is everyone having issues and non-payment?

The bulk of their leasing has been in 2011; so, many are likely still on the fence waiting. I would guess the lawyers are going to be extremely busy dealing with the fallout from this company.

Hi Snues,

I've started a new discussion that is titled "Blanca Peak" Please reply in that discussion. : )

Rick Dawson with RedSky Land thinks he can submit a sworn affidavit to an Emmet County Michigan Circuit Court Judge with complete lies about RedSky Land not working in Michigan, and get away with it. RedSky Land is another Chesapeake Puppet out there creating companies like Silver Lake Energy, LLC and Blanca Peak Energy, LLC in North Dakota, to cheat mineral owners. They create these bogus front companies where they can hide behind them. COWARDS. I am curious to see if the judge there has any backbone. I submitted a sworn affidavit there with the truth in it. Something people like Rick Dawson, John Brogan, Joe McFerron and the cowards with Chesapeake know nothing about. Time will tell the story…

I spent several months in North Dakota inspecting what is happening on the home front, and everyone should be on their toes to what is happening. It is sickening as the landman hang out in the bars boasting about their steals for the day. They are carpetbaggers, that thrive on leasing for pennies on the dollar and then brokering them for 5x the amount. We are being sold out. Make the companies pay!!! I have leased some minerals in January for $2500/acre in Stark, and today they are worth more, so please think and don't jump at the first offer!!!

http://ipr.interlochen.org/ipr-news-features/episode/12808

Hi All!!

It's exciting with all the new activity going on in Stark Coutnry. I have a question, my family also has mineral rights in Hettinger County and things are starting to move there also, but our current lease company in Stark Ct isn't doing any business there. Does anyone have any names of lease companies ( I know which ones are the bad apples) that are doing business in Hettinger? Thanks alot!!

Bob

Hi Bob,

According to the NDRIN, here is the list of companies for the last 9 months that recorded leases in Hettinger County. The first 7 names listed are associated with Chesapeake Oil, or have done assignment of leases to Chesapeake Oil.

Sullivan Land Resources, Crystal Lake Resources, Blanca Peak Energy, Chesapeake Exploration, Clear Creek Resources, Irish Oil and Gas, and Border Resources.

The list of others recording leases is: CA Crouch, RTR Energy, The Armstrong Corp, Eagle Oil and Gas, Hallador Energy, Aprapahoe Resources, Great Northern Energy, KDM PetroManagement, Empire Oil, and Marathon Oil.

Good Luck with your leasing.

I live in Ohio, and have no experience with lease contracts. I represent my brother and sister as well, so when we recieved a lease from Sullivan involving the homestead that my mother and her 5 siblings share rights to, I called an uncle that is still alive and lives there. He told me it sounded ok, and that he had signed. (Not sure what his experience is) My question was should we not all be of one mind and agree to the same thing as our interest is in the same land. He said no need. I'm confussed. Can a lease company make different offers to different people in regard to the same land?? And can they not pay the bonus money to some if they have signed a lease, but pay it to others. My reason for asking I know many of the siblings were paid, however when the 60 days passed and I called Sullivan regarding non payment, (and I had to keep calling and bugging them for a couple months) I was eventually told that they were no longer buying in that area, and they have the right to not pay the agreement. Is this true?

Ms. Kullman, they do have the right to not complete the transaction. The oil co got your commitment, but you do not have theirs until they pay you or they record and bind themselves to the lease. If they record the lease and do not pay, you may file suit against them. I am doing exactly that with one co that did record a lease they didnt pay for. If you sent them an executed lease, you need to make certain that it was not recorded. I have made that mistake myself in the past. It is best to never send the lessee an original executed lease until you have the money in hand. Send them a copy, marked boldly as a copy, and tell them they can have the original after you bank their cash payment, not draft, order for payment, bill of exchange, which are all unenforceable super IOU's. They are not like checks. It's totally up to them whether they honor them or not. Once again, you need to find out if they recorded your lease. If they have recorded your lease you will not get future offers as everyone will think you are legitimately leased. Good luck to you.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/28/us-energy-giant-idUSTRE7BR0G420111228

Thanks Kevin for posting this valuable information. Chesapeake's agent responded to me several weeks ago, that the company knows they have a strong, firm hold in North Dakota, and now are going to pay what they want. It seems to me, that they are not following the rules of negotiating in good faith for one, and by the news article, they have several other schemes they are playing. Signer beware!

I got a call (voice mail) regarding my mineral rights from Chesapeake a few weeks ago that I have in Hettinger County. Her voice had such a drawl that I couldn't really understand her. When I returned the call, I told her right off I had a lawyer in Dickenson that worked with me on my leases in Stark County and she immediately hung up. Interesting isn't it!!

after posting on Chesapeak facebook page I got someone who said they were from corp. to reply, and finally talk to on the phone. The took another month, but did get someone from sullivan to call me and say they are releasing my lease agreement. But that was Dec 14th and I don't have anything yet. We are part of a 6 sibling group. They paid 2 and are cancelling the rest. How is that going to work? I guess the rest of us are out of luck? I seems to me they have the land tied up with two, so why pay anymore. And with two recorded, I don't think anyone will offer to lease from the remaining 4. The original homestead is not a large amount of acreage.

Ms. Kullman, you may have to have a lawyer send them the request that that they file the release of lease, possibly with a vague reference to slander of title. If they don't think you are serious, there is no downside for them not filing the release of record. Chesapeake probably has thousands of such requests. If they have anyone working to resplve them at all I'm sure they are giving the ones where they think they could be sued priority, because it is slander of title.