Thanks to a search by a landman, I have pretty much confirmed that my family owns a mineral interest in the William Dever Survey, A-14. The interest stems from a 50-acre plot in the northwest corner of the survey, the surface of which was later sold. There are several wells in the survey, some new, some very old (the RRC map lists them as being only on hard copy). I have contacted the operators of several of these wells, both plugged and still producing, and am awaiting their response on how I proceed with establishing ownership to their satisfaction. These include Seneca Resources, BBX Operating, and Ogden Resources. However, I have several questions that I hope someone can answer:
1. Given the location of the original plot of land, how wide an area is it likely that I could claim royalties for? A gas division order that I have from 1960 based on this interest covers 330.2 acres - would that include the entire survey? If our ownership covers this large an area, would it possibly also include wells drilled at a similar distance in nearby surveys?
2. One set of plugged wells that lies in the Dever Survey is collectively named JWV Oil (04-131884) and were operated by Shield Petroleum (aka Reata Oil & Gas), which is now out of business. Is there a way to determine if I could claim any royalties and lease bonuses that are in suspense from those wells?
3. How can I learn more about the wells that are listed as hard copy only? Is there a chance that any are still producing?
Thanks very much for your help.
Attached is map of A-14 area with producing wells. The BBX well is the only one still producing in the survey.
The list below is to the Tx RRC GIS mapping site. You can search by abstract or API number to get more info.
Those old wells on the map are not producing anymore and no idea how to get historical data without physically going to the Tx RRC offices in Austin (probably on some sort of microfiche but not sure).
As for your question #1, royalties will only be paid as per the location of your lease (50 acres) in either an oil or gas unit. If you have not been included in any such unit, you get not royalties.
Hope this helps.
http://gis2.rrc.state.tx.us/public/startit.htm
1442-BrazosCoA14production.pdf (4.1 KB)
1443-BrazosCoA14productionmap.pdf (1.19 MB)
See the scale on the map - survey is much larger than the 330 acre unit you have referenced.
It had been my original understanding that I would only receive royalties on oil & gas produced from below the surface specified (as you indicated in your response), but the gas division order I have from 1960, as I mentioned above, covered 330.2 acres in the survey, even though as far as I can tell my family only owned the mineral interest from this 50 acres at this time. FWIW, the well in question was listed on the division order as Thomas W. Clay's B. L. Fannett Unit. In trying to plot out the area of A-14 my grandfather had an interest in, there do not appear to be any wells drilled specifically in that area, with all the hardcopy wells (presumably including this one) shown to the east. This is why I'm wondering if I might be eligible for royalties on wells in other parts of the survey.
Your 50 acres is probably a part of the 330.2 acre unit so you would have 15.14% of the unit as per your royalty interest (e.g. if you have a 25% royalty, your 50 acres would work out to 3.7855% of the total revenue for the well / unit in question.
I have found a little info on the well you referenced. Shallow (2400' ) Sparta Sand gas well that was drilled in 1958 and produced from 1961 to 1968. Total of 837 MMCF and no oil. Tied to trap associated with the Millican Salt Dome.
Technically drilled by Carlon Oil (Thomas Clay's operating company I suppose) and well is listed as the B. L. Fannette.
Assuming that the other wells in this field area went off line around the same time, your grandfather's mineral lease would have eventually expired (in the late 60' to early 70's).
Wonder how many wells were included in the 330.2 acre unit that you have paperwork on?
G. Halsell said:
It had been my original understanding that I would only receive royalties on oil & gas produced from below the surface specified (as you indicated in your response), but the gas division order I have from 1960, as I mentioned above, covered 330.2 acres in the survey, even though as far as I can tell my family only owned the mineral interest from this 50 acres at this time. FWIW, the well in question was listed on the division order as Thomas W. Clay's B. L. Fannett Unit. In trying to plot out the area of A-14 my grandfather had an interest in, there do not appear to be any wells drilled specifically in that area, with all the hardcopy wells (presumably including this one) shown to the east. This is why I'm wondering if I might be eligible for royalties on wells in other parts of the survey.
Found some more info on Millican Dome Field.
Attached is a PDF that shows the wells in the field (green and red dots with five digit numbers). You can see your survey and the row of closely spaced gas well symbols just south of the large cluster of dots (on the Dome).
Last production from any well in this field complex is shown to be June 2002.
1441-MillicanDomeMap.pdf (1.81 MB)
Thanks very much for this information. I had noticed that cluster of wells on the GIS map, which is what prompted my question in my original post regarding the inclusion of wells in other surveys near or adjacent to the William Dever Survey - if the division order I had covered all or most of the Dever Survey, could I also be owed royalties for wells in other surveys that were the same or less distance from my grandfather's original holdings in the northwest corner of the Dever one. Do you know if the B. L. Fannett well was actually in this cluster of wells in the J M Barrera Survey, or would it have been one of the old wells shown in the northeastern part of the Dever Survey?
Fannette well in the Dever survey for sure
We have 1/2 perpetual mineral interest in, E. Flour bluff,and Encinal Farms and Garden tracts, Neuces county
TX.
lot22 sec 19,lots9and 10 sec18, lots22and 23, sec51,lot12 block6sec 45, lots 19,20,21,on N-1/2
I do not have API number, I only have the original old deeds and maps would you happen to know if anything is happening there?
Thank you Deb Hiner
After checking with the operators of a couple of wells located near where I assumed my interest was located, looking closer at the deed I have that describe the location of the property, and looking at the satellite view on the RRC map for fence lines, I am now thinking that my assumption about the location was incorrect. Is there an easy way to ascertain the specific location of the property based on the metes-and-bounds description I have without tracing deed references back to the earliest land grants? The best reference I appear to have is that my property borders lot no. 4 on the west side (described in one deed as "sold to Potts") and the railroad property on the north. Later legal descriptions start at a fencepost on the border of the railroad property, then go south, east, then north again (presumably along the west side of lot no. 4) back to the railroad.
Also, I read an article by a landman recently that indicated that the length of a vara in East Texas is longer (36"?) than that used in West Texas (33 1/3") - is this still true?
Thanks again for all your help.