What is a good payment for allowing sonar or geophysical surveys on your land?

Has anyone been approached to allow 3-D Geophysical surveys on their land? I've been offered a payment of about 10 dollars an acre.. total #361.88 for such a survey on my 40 acres (they say 36.19 acres but I own 40 there). Is this standard or should I ask for more?

Thanks,

Lynn Barker

Depends where your property is located, but here in SE Wyoming, the current rate is $10/acre. Just made a deal with a firm to do this on my place.

It's in Eddy County, New Mexico in the active Permian Basin. But, if you are getting that on your property also then it's probably what most people are getting. Thanks.

Lynn,

Go to the Search area here on the main page of MR Forum and type in 'Geophysical survey payment per acre' and you will get some good information on survey payment per acre.

Clint Liles

I'm having friends tell me to hold out for 25 to 50 dollars an acre, especially in the busy Permian Basin where my land is. Why not? If I get more than the 10 bucks an acre they are offering, it's a win. I'm also going to ask for a copy of the results!

$25 to $50 looks a bunch better than $10. Sounds good to me Lynn.

Clint Liles

Lynn Barker said:

I'm having friends tell me to hold out for 25 to 50 dollars an acre, especially in the busy Permian Basin where my land is. Why not? If I get more than the 10 bucks an acre they are offering, it's a win. I'm also going to ask for a copy of the results!

Good luck trying to get way too much more; unless you have a bunch of precious trees and other damageables, $10/ac is a reasonable offer, and since you only have 40 acres, they can easily place sensors AROUND your property and still get a peek below yours. The do these surveys on THOUSANDS of acres at time, and you would need to have several hundred acres to attempt to hold them hostage for 5X their offer, plus they don't really like 'setting a precedent' with someone small (less than few hundred acres). if it's bare flat land maybe ask for $20 and be happy to settle for $15.

I used to permit for seismic. $10 isn’t too bad actually… Keep in mind they can permit your nieighbor lay wires right next to you and miss a little tract like that with no loss of data. So your position is possibly not overwhelming. If you own minerals, that 3D Seismic is a real positive…