MRP 270: Listener Questions - December 2024 – The Mineral Rights Podcast

In this episode, we answer listener questions from Reuben, Robin, Lacey, Steve, James, George, and Elisabeth about figuring out if you are getting paid correctly, understanding what is going with your Texas property tax bills, getting paid interest on late royalty payments, transferring ownership of royalty interests, understanding why well gets shut-in and what that means, and how to find out how many acres you own in wells shown on your division orders, and more!

Many of the questions in this episode are addressed in my Mineral Management Basics online course, from how to read a legal description, how to perform a title search, and how to identify nearby oil and gas activity, and how to determine if you should be getting paid on a well.

Thanks again to everyone who left a review or who submitted a listener question! If you have a question about your minerals or royalties, you can send it to feedback@mineralrightspodcast.com and who knows we might just answer it on the air!

If this has been helpful, please take a moment and leave us an honest rating & review on Apple Podcasts. This feedback really helps keep us going and helps make sure that we are putting out content that is tailored to your needs.

Listener Question #1

Hi Matt,
I’m a bit new to all this and am trying to get ahead of the curve. My parents estate currently has 244 leases if I remember correctly. Through the years my Mom has taken care of it all, please renewals, division orders. All without any thought about fair market pricing, royalty payments, upfront bonuses, active drilling not just sitting on the property etc. She was/is the type that is just grateful for getting anything in payment since it was all given to her. I’m almost at a loss in this ocean info but I’m wrapping my head around things to get into the swing of getting what is due to them/ us. Thank you so much for putting so much info out there to learn.
Kindest Regards
Reuben

Listener Question #2

Matt,
I’ve been listening to your podcast for a while now and I really enjoy it. I have a question about an appraisal notice I received recently. I have non-participating royalty interests in several properties in Burleson County, Texas.

I recently received an appraisal notice from Burleson. Several of the properties’ values had gone up quite a bit. They were, however, limited to how much they could raise the taxes by HB1984 to, I believe, 20% per year for the next 3 years. Could you please speak to that bill?
More importantly, does this mean that the value of my interests have gone up, perhaps significantly, in some cases? Or is this just a routine re-appraisal that won’t really mean anything to me as someone with NPRI? Could it mean there have been some new discoveries, or is there nothing new under the sun? I live out of state so it’s hard for me to really know what’s happening there.

Thanks for your help.

Robin

Listener Question #3

I’m a mineral rights owner dealing with 10 years of past production from my property that was held in escrow pending what the operator thought was a cloud on my title. After successful litigation to clear the supposed cloud, the operator has paid my royalties current. However, I am now going through the work of verifying that the payment matches reported production and getting the operator to pay statutory interest on the payment. My property is in Oklahoma. I hope your podcast can help to educate me on the industry jargon and standard practices around royalties.

Lacey

Listener Question #4

Matt,

My mom is a mineral owner. I am working on her behalf, trying to resolve a transfer of ownership after my dad passed away in February 2023. After a year of correspondence, we finally got new division orders, which were signed and returned on February 1, 2024. My mom is still waiting for payments to begin. I have emailed their customer service numerous times and have usually gotten a response and assurance that it is in the process. I was even assured that payment would be received in April, but it was not, and my last two emails have gotten no response.

Thanks,

Steve

Listener Question #5

Matt

I’ve got lots of problems

Lease A has been pumped by operators to prevent them from loosing their ORRI because the lease would expire.

Lease B lied about producing then when i went to [Railroad Commission website] the operator changed to non producing so now he wont pay me as an un-leased co-tenant.

Lease c is owed by another person, the same operator pumping it wont let it expire.

problem D my ownership is wrong.

problem E a fraud lease was used to trick my cousins into signing new divisions orders . I didn’t sign the lease but i did sign the division orders in 2010. They are wrong and I sent an email to the operator to cancel the Division Order.

Please help

James

Listener Question #6

Hello Matt,

I became the conservator of my mother’s estate which holds a lease in Kingfisher county OK that is administered by BCEMach III. Other than some correspondence and access to statements I really don’t have any other information including not knowing where the lease is or how to find and review it. My mother suffers from dementia and did not plan for succession very well. The royalties stopped coming this year after years of paying and I emailed customer relations. They said the well was shut in but had begun producing again this April. I didn’t know what shut in meant so I asked why. They responded that there was a note that indicated high pressure and a plunger wouldn’t run issue??

Sincerely,

George

Listener Question #7

How do I find out how many acres I own in wells shown on my division orders. The wells are located in the Dora Roberts ranch in Midland and Ector county in Texas.

Thanks

Elisabeth

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Mineral Rights Education

Books

Never Split the Difference by former FBI Hostage Negotiator Chris Voss is THE book on negotiation.

How to Make Sure You are Getting Paid Correctly

Mineral Rights Research

How to Find Oil & Gas Information

Non-Operated Working Interests (WI)

Property Taxes

Thanks for Listening!

To share your thoughts:

Leave a comment or listener question below (we read each one and your question may be featured in a future episode)!
Ask a question or leave us feedback via email.

To help out the show:

Subscribe and leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts – we read each one and greatly appreciate it. Plus, you can get a shout-out in a future episode!

Thanks again – until next time!