Oil and Gas

Oil and gas lease drafting and negotiating
Leasing land to an oil and gas company is an important transaction with many considerations. Our office works to ensure that the lease is financially advantageous and protects the landowner’s property rights.

Mineral deeds and conveyances
Buying and selling minerals is largely different than a standard real estate transaction and requires specialized knowledge of the oil and gas field in order to properly appropriate the mineral estate between the buyer and the seller.

Pooled unit designations
It is common for oil and gas companies to pool relatively small tracts of land into a larger unit. The process of pooling and the documents involved in the process can have a significant impact on the landowner’s rights and the amount of royalty received by the landowner.

Division orders
Division orders can affect the distribution of royalties under a pre-existing lease and must be examined to ensure proper payment.

Seismic agreements and licenses
Oil and gas companies use seismic surveys to explore for oil and gas formations. These surveys can benefit landowners if the company decides to lease and drill, but the process can be damaging to land. The agreements need to protect and adequately compensate the landowner.

Seismic options
A seismic option gives an exploration company the right to lease land after the conclusion of seismic exploration. Because of that option, it is important to plan ahead to the leasing stage during the early seismic negotiations.

Title opinions
A title examination and a proper title opinion are essential for oil and gas operations, and protect the lessee from a variety of problems, including unleased mineral interests and royalty disputes.