My reply is for Reeves County, Texas……Did not lease and got rewarded with a big check from Chevron
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2 years ago I turned down the $8K Bonus Offer from Noble Energy to sign a 3 yr lease I wanted $10K. So I let it go unleased. Then within 2 years, I got my proceeds from the well (at 100%) less production costs. My portion was a total of $675,000 with 20% automatically going to IRS so I got the Net - Check was sent to me. It’s the most I have ever received in over 30 years. All my leases I’ve negotiated for 25% royalties, 3 yr. lease, no Option period…..with the help of an Attorney some of the time. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LEASE……
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@Brenda_Johnson, you make some good points but everything I said holds true. You had to wait for well payout and you became part of the working interest. You may want to set aside part of your windfall for future well plugging expenses. What works for an owner with extensive holdings in the Permian Basin, may not work as well for a smaller owner or for an area where the well economics are different. Some wells never reach payout, especially if there is a higher risk penalty involved. Or, as others have noted, states with favorable force pooling are not so bad for the unleased, and the working interest windfall / pitfalls don’t apply.
It is awesome that things have worked out in your favor (so far), but keep in mind that going unleased can become a very trying experience in many situations.
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Can this happen in Oklahoma? I am referring to what Brenda below had to say about not leasing. Doesn’t seem as though she had any out of pocket money to pay? Looks like she just set back and collected her money once the well came in? Can you give any insight on if it would work this way in Oklahoma? I appreciate all your responses (educating me) in the whole lease thing. 
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She is talking about Texas where the rules are not the same as OK. She ended up being a default working interest owner and not paying upfront costs, but she did not get a payout until the well was completely paid for. She was lucky. Many folks that go that direction never get anything because the well drilling and completion costs are not recouped. Works differently in OK. You can choose to be a working interest owner, but usually have to pay to do so unless you have a special agreement about the payout situation. In OK, if you are a regular mineral royalty owner, you get paid for your percentage of the well from the first sales. Some folks are both. They have a working interest portion and a mineral interest portion.
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The section you are talking about isnt under pooling, what led you to believe that you were under pooling? If you already hired an attorney, they should have provided the info you are asking for. Holding out for poolings all depends on your acreage size. If its small acreage, you will get some competitive offers from non-op companies, if its more than 20 acres or so, good luck as the drilling costs alone will scare off 95% of the small non op buyers and the operator will likely forece pool you to get better terms on their end. Using the price per acre the last time you leased it as your baromoter is a poor metric to use when considering offers to lease, especially when the prior well was shut in, a lot changes in the industry over the years and right now oil prices arent looking great.
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Candi - I don’t know where your minerals are but the short answer is operators will go ahead and drill the well without your lease. Typically your revenue would be placed in a suspense account - hope that helps.
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If you get pooled and it does produce and there is money in suspense for u that can mess up all kinds of financial things. Whether u know about it or not it’s there with your name on it. tax problems
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Prices are changing a lot budgets. Lost 68 rigs from last year
If you DONT take the lease then you can be charged for all expenses for drilling etc.
That’s hardball you can’t play hardball only they can. How dare u use logic
Oh no. No working interests Ever
How dare u.play hardball with those nice people
I didn’t agree to Lease because the terms were not acceptable to me. You get 100% Royalty instead of 25% Royalty on a good Lease. All production costs come out before you get paid. You still get paid Royalties.
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That’s a brave move. Not for everyone 
mineral ninja