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Basic Information
for the
Oklahoma Royalty Owner
Prepared by:
Oil & Gas Complaints & Information Department
Consumer Services Division
Oklahoma Corporation Commission
(405) 521-2613
Last Revision – November 19, 2010
1
Basic Information for the Oklahoma Royalty Owner
This information was prepared by the Oil & Gas Complaints & Information
Department within the Consumer Services Division of the Oklahoma Corporation
Commission. The information is general in nature and does not specifically relate to any
particular case or hearing conducted at the Commission. Any subsequent rule change or
legislative change after the effective date of this booklet, November 19, 2010, could alter
the information included. We suggest that you consult your own attorney for specific
answers if you have a particular legal question or any pending litigation rather than
relying on the general information included in this booklet.
2
Table of Contents
Basic Information
3
Frequently Asked Questions
about Horizontal Drilling 12
Helpful Telephone Numbers
16
Calculation of Royalties Under
SB 168
17
OCC County Codes
18
County Contacts
19
Section Platt with Footages
28
United States Land Survey
System
29
OCC Database Instructions
Well Browse 31
Operator Browse 33
Imaged Records Access 34
Case Processing 35
3
Basic Information
Hearings at the Corporation Commission:
Court Rooms at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission are located on the first
and third floors of the Jim Thorpe Building, southwest of the Capitol on Lincoln
Boulevard in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Hearings at the Corporation Commission are posted on the first floor of the
building on a bulletin board and on the OCC website at www.occeweb.com. The weekly
docket is posted on Wednesday for the following Monday through Friday. The daily
docket is posted the day before the hearing. Usually there are over 100 hearings posted
with courtroom assignments, so it is important that you know which one involves your
land. The cases are posted according to the case number, applicant and county; therefore,
it is important that you bring that notice with you in order to find your case and
courtroom.
Finding your courtroom:
Six courtrooms are located on the first floor of the Jim Thorpe Building and
Courtroom 301, where Commission en banc hearings are conducted, is located on the
third floor. It is important that you arrive at the Commission well before 8:30 a.m. to find
the courtroom to which your case has been assigned.
Calling the docket:
Once you have reached your courtroom, the Administrative Law Judge, at 8:30
a.m., will call the assigned cases for that day. The Administrative Law Judge will call the
case number, the applicant, the type of case and the county. Often each Administrative
Law Judge will have over twenty cases assigned to hear that day. When your case is
called, announce your presence in the courtroom and let the judge know if you have an
attorney or are representing yourself and if you are opposed to the application or not.
Due to the large number of uncontested cases that must be heard, usually protested cases
must be scheduled on days that are specifically set aside to hear protested cases. Parties
involved in a protested case must complete a pre-hearing conference agreement setting
forth issues and establishing the trial date. If the parties cannot agree upon a date, the
judge will select a date.
What is spacing?
A drilling and spacing order issued by the Corporation Commission joins together
certain oil and gas reservoirs within a legally described boundary so that any well drilled
within that drilling and spacing unit must have its royalty shared with all the mineral
owners within the unit. The oil and gas reservoirs are called “common sources of
supply” and several different sources of supply may be spaced in the same order. Often
4
the names of these reservoirs become very important during the hearing. This spacing
order communitizes or joins together the royalty interests within the boundaries of the
unit.
Number of wells that can be drilled in a unit:
Once the drilling and spacing unit has been created, only one well can be drilled
to the common source of supply. The order will also specify the area where the unit well
may be drilled. Under certain circumstances, additional wells may be drilled, but only
after an application is filed, a hearing conducted, and an Increased Density Order is
issued by the commission.
Drilling and spacing units:
Below is a list of the standard sizes for drilling and spacing units and the
permitted locations within the unit for the well to be drilled.
The well can be located no closer to the unit boundaries than this:
Square Units: Rectangular Units:
640 acres 1,320 feet 320 acres 660 feet
160 acres 660 feet 80 acres 330 feet
40 acres 330 feet 20 acres 165 feet
10 acres 165 feet
Horizontally drilled wells often require a Location Exception Order from the
Commission and have different requirements for well location. Horizontal wells are
sometimes designated by an “H” in the well name, such as Smith #1H-10 or Smith #1-
10H.
What is a Pooling Order and when is it necessary?
After the drilling and spacing order determines the boundaries of the unit and the
reservoirs involved, any person or company owning the right to drill a well within the
unit may propose the drilling of a well. After the oil company has proposed the well, the
company will try to reach agreement with all the other owners within the unit (do they
want to lease to the company who wants to drill, or do they want to join in sharing the
cost of drilling the well and thereby own a working interest in the well?).
If the oil company cannot successfully get all the owners within the unit to agree
as to how to develop the unit, the oil company can apply to the Commission to have those
people or other oil companies who have not agreed, force pooled into the unit. “Force”
pooling means that under Oklahoma law the oil company can force those who are
undecided to make a decision.
5
Fair market value:
At the pooling hearing evidence will be taken to establish what prices have been
paid for leases within the subject unit and the eight offsetting units. The nine-unit area is
the area the Commission usually considers in determining the value of leases. The
Commission wants to find the best evidence of the fair market value of the land involved.
Often the best evidence is the highest amount, but sometimes the best evidence is not the
highest amount. Each case must be judged on the individual facts presented.
Cash bonus elections under the Pooling Order:
After the pooling order is issued, all of the parties will have 20 days to choose or
elect which financial options they wish to make. The pooling election must be made in
writing within the allotted time. If a royalty owner chooses to take the cash bonus and
royalty percentage that goes with it, the order will state how many days the oil company
has to pay the cash bonus. The cash bonus must be paid to those who elect it even if the
well is never drilled or if drilled and is a dry hole.
If the oil company does not properly pay the cash bonus, the poolee that is unpaid
must sue in District Court to obtain the money. The Commission has no jurisdiction or
authority to force the company to pay the cash bonus.
Elections to participate in the drilling of the well under the Pooling Order:
Anyone electing to participate and join in the costs of drilling the well will be
given a certain number of days to submit their share of the drilling costs or to make
satisfactory financial arrangements for payment. The pooling election must be made in
writing within the allotted time. Letters of credit are often accepted rather than cash
payment up front, but the arrangements are different for each situation and parties
involved depending on their financial position and experience in the oil business.
Deemed elections:
If you fail to make a timely election under the pooling order, the order will
provide that you are deemed to have made a certain election. Normally, if a party fails to
elect or elects out of time, the order will provide that he is deemed to have elected the
cash bonus and royalty.
If any person elects to participate, but fails to submit his share of the drilling costs
or make timely financial arrangements with the oil company, the pooling order will also
state that party’s election is rescinded or voided and the party usually will be deemed to
have taken the cash bonus.
6
Leasing under a Pooling Order:
Any person who is listed as a party in a pooling application and order may still
lease to anyone until the 20 day election period listed in the pooling order has run.
Term of Pooling Order:
A pooling order usually, but not always, provides a maximum of 180 days to
commence a well. If the operator of the well does not commence operations within 180
days, the pooling order is void. It is not mandatory that the well be drilled at all,
however, cash bonuses are due to those electing the cash regardless of whether a well is
drilled or not. In some cases, the Commission may grant an extension of time under the
pooling order, however, the applicant is sometimes required to pay some percentage of
the original cash bonus again, but usually there is no new election.
Lease disputes:
The Commission has no jurisdiction or authority over lease disputes. Any
problems or questions you have with regard to a leasing problem should be discussed
with the person or company you leased to or with your attorney.
Lawyer Referral Service:
Lawyer Referral Service is no longer available from the Oklahoma Bar
Association, however, you can find a listing of attorneys by category on the Bar
Association website at www.okbar.org. Also, refer to your yellow pages directory for
“Attorney Referral Services”.
Oil &Gas Complaints & Information:
The Commission has an Oil & Gas Complaints & Information Department
located on the fifth floor of the Jim Thorpe Building. Additional questions and concerns
can be sent to them by mail or you may call them at (405) 521-2613.
Oklahoma Corporation Commission District Field Offices:
District I Bristow (918) 367-3396
District II Kingfisher (405) 375-5570
District III Duncan (580) 255-0103
District IV Ada (580) 332-3441
The ABC Oil Company wants to put a saltwater disposal well on your lease. What
information do you need?
7
The first thing you should do would be to check your lease to see if the lessee is
allowed to put a saltwater disposal well on your lease. Any action involving the lease
would need to be filed by a privately hired attorney in District Court.
If you have some reason to believe the proposed saltwater disposal well would be
unfit to be used as an injection well or would constitute a danger to fresh water supplies
or oil or gas bearing formations, then you may file a formal protest with the Underground
Injection Control Department within fifteen (15) days after the applicant’s publication of
its intent to have a saltwater disposal well. Under rule 165:5-7-27, the applicant must
mail a copy of the application to the surface owner of the land on which the proposed
well is to be located.
XYZ Oil Company drilled a well on your property over a year ago, but has not
produced the well or filled the reserve pit. What can you do about this situation?
Under rule 165:10-7-16 the time frame for the closure of a pit is dependent on the
category of the pit. The appropriate District Office can make a determination. Under
rule 165:10-11-3, any well which has production casing in place shall be plugged within
one year after cessation of production, unless there is at least one producing well on the
same lease. This rule does not apply to a shut-in gas well. A newly drilled well, in which
surface casing has been properly set, must be plugged within ninety (90) days after the
cessation of drilling or testing. The plugging rule has been amended recently; it is
lengthy and complex, and should be scanned carefully to see how it applies in each
individual case. If a well should be plugged or a pit emptied and leveled, then the field
representative of the Commission should be called and a Complaint Notice issued to the
operator. Should the operator fail to comply with the requirements of the Complaint
Notice, then a formal application may be filed and set for hearing on the Pollution Docket
to require compliance. The Pollution Docket is held every Wednesday and Friday at 8:30
a.m. at the Commission.
You own the mineral rights in a well located in a certain section in a county in
Oklahoma. The “Z” Petroleum Company takes the oil from this well and sends you
checks and statements periodically. How can you tell if you are receiving the proper
amount of money and that the stated amount of oil withdrawn is accurate?
The Oklahoma Tax Commission (405) 521-4558 has the records on gross
production, including volumes and values, from individual wells because they are
responsible for collecting state production taxes on any oil or gas produced in Oklahoma.
The figures given to you by your oil company should match those reported to the
Oklahoma Tax Commission. The Oklahoma Tax Commission can provide information
regarding volumes and values of production sold.
8
Gas volumes can be found on the OCC website at www.occeweb.com. Oil
volumes for wells that are classified as oil wells care only available by accessing the
actual production reports in our Document Image Access database. To do this you must
know the Production Unit Number that was assigned to the lease by the Oklahoma Tax
Commission, and the purchaser number. Production values are not available on the OCC
website.
Title 52 Oklahoma Statutes 87.1(b) may provide assistance in getting a portion of
your lease released.
Example: You own the entire NW/4 of Section 21, Township 22 North, Range 9
West, in a particular county in Oklahoma, and also the N/2 SW/4 of the same section.
You lease all of these 240 acres to a particular oil company on one lease. The oil
company drills a producing well on the northwest quarter, but when the lease period is
up, the oil company intends that this well also holds the 80 acres in the southwest quarter,
although the spacing is 160 acres. Does this well indeed hold the entire lease, or should
you have release on the south portion?
52 O.S. Section 87.1(b) states: “in case of a spacing unit of one hundred sixty
(160) acres or more, no oil and/or gas leasehold interest outside the spacing unit involved
may be held by production from the spacing unit more than ninety (90) days beyond
expiration of the primary term of the lease.”
This law became effective May 27, 1977 and may or may not apply in your case
depending on the date of your lease. It would be advisable to check with your attorney
for an interpretation of this law as it relates to your particular facts and situation. The
Commission has no jurisdiction to release a portion of your lease.
How do you determine if there has been any production on your land?
Example: Your grandfather died, and among his papers you found a mineral
deed signed in 1949 indicating that he owned 50% of the minerals under the described
land. Has there been production on this land, and where do you go to get the money?
The Corporation Commission does not determine who is the owner of mineral
rights. This should be a matter of record in the courthouse of the county where your land
is located and the Tax Commission’s records may also help. You may need an attorney
to research this for you. We can advise you as to the possible existence of a well on the
legal description in question, but we do not have any records reflecting where the lessee
would have deposited any money owing to your grandfather.
Surface rights versus the rights of the oil operator:
Example: My wife and I bought ten acres of land, surface rights only, to serve as
our retirement home. We have planted an orchard and improved it in general. Along
9
comes an oil company, who tells us that they are going to drill a well in the middle of our
orchard. Can they do this?
If you owned the surface rights only and the location to drill the well the operator
has chosen on your land is in compliance with Commission regulations for well locations,
the oil company can go ahead and drill on the location they chose. However, 52 O.S.
Sections 318.2 through 318.9, requires certain negotiations between the oil company and
the surface owner with regard to surface damages. You should contact your attorney to
ascertain if the oil company is complying with the Surface Damages Act. The
Corporation Commission has no jurisdiction or authority over surface damages or any
direct relationship with this law.
Well placement for unspaced lands:
Commission rule 165:10-1-21 is the regulation which addresses well locations on
unspaced lands. As long as the well complies with these limits, the only other restriction
would be any private agreement such as a lease that states how many feet from structures
such as homes or barns, the well must be located.
“Any well drilled for oil or gas to an unspaced common source of supply 2,500
feet or more in depth shall be located not less than 330 feet from any property line or
lease line, and shall be located not less than 600 feet from any other producible or drilling
oil or gas well when drilling to the same common source of supply; provided and except
that in drilling to an unspaced common source of supply that is less than 2,500 feet in
depth, the well shall be located not less than 165 feet form any property line or lease line,
and not less than 300 feet from any other producible or drilling oil or gas well in the same
common source of supply; provided, however, that the completed depth of the discovery
well shall be recognized as the depth of the common source of supply for the purpose of
this rule; provided further, when an exception to this rule is granted, the Commission may
adjust the allowable or take such other action as it deems necessary for the prevention of
waste and protection of correlative rights.”
An oil company has drilled on my land and, having completed the well, moved away
leaving considerable inactive equipment as well as all sorts of trash and debris. Can
they be made to clear the site?
Under rule 165:10-3-17 all surface trash and debris must be removed from the
premises. With the surface owner’s permission the operator may bury non-hazardous
material including cement bases. This rule does not apply to Osage county.
Although the pit has been filled on my land, the road is rough and rutted. This land
is unusable as is. Can I make the company restore the surface and sow grass seed?
Under rule 165:10-3-17 the area of the road is to be restored to as near to its
natural state as reasonably possible and a bona fide effort must be made to restore the
vegetative cover within 180 days after abandonment of the property.
10
My operator refuses to place a fence around my well. He also refuses to install a
cattle guard. The pumper always leaves my gate open, and my cattle get out. Can
the Commission do anything about this?
Commission rules do not demand fencing of a well, neither do we have authority
over cattle guards and/or gates. Surface issues can be addressed in an addendum to the
oil and gas lease or in the surface damage agreement. If the well is within city limits, city
ordinances may require fences.
How close to my house may a well be drilled?
Commission rules have no restrictions concerning distances from a residence.
Study your lease. Many leases will stipulate that a well may not be located closer than
200 feet to a house or barn. If you do not own the mineral rights, check at the county
courthouse and see if you can look at the lease, which should be filed there. Also, if you
live within the limits of a city, there may be an applicable ordinance.
52 O.S. Section 318.10 was passed in May 2003 and states that it is unlawful to
locate a habitable structure within one hundred twenty-five feet of an active well or
within fifty feet of any surface equipment without a written agreement between the
surface owner and the well operator specifying different distances.
The well on my property has been completed for some time, but I have heard
nothing concerning it. I think it is producing, for there is a Christmas tree and
storage tank, but I have received no check. How long must I wait until I am paid?
Payment of proceeds is covered under O.S. 52 Section 340, which in essence calls
for payment to be made within six months from the date of first sale, or indicates that if
not, some interest may be due. The Commission has no power or function over payment
of proceeds. The power lies in District Court.
I have received a copy of an intent-to-drill on my land, but I have never signed a
lease. This intent has been approved by the Corporation Commission. How can
you approve an intent under these conditions?
Since the Corporation Commission has no jurisdiction in the area of leases, the
validity of a lease would not have any bearing on the approval of the intent. Approval is
based only on the items appearing on the intent, which are within the jurisdiction of the
Commission.
I have received a division order from the oil company: They asked me to sign and
return it. Can you help me determine if my interest as given therein is correct?
A division order stipulates the percentage of royalty that one owns, and is the
instrument by which the oil company makes payment of proceeds. The royalty owner
11
should ascertain that his or her percentage is correct before signing. If uncertain, they
should contact their attorney, banker, or some knowledgeable source. The Corporation
Commission has no function with division orders and will not become involved in this.
The mathematical formula for determining your division of interest (DOI) is
provided on page 17.
The oil well on my land has stopped producing and has been abandoned. Please
send me a release of my lease.
The Corporation Commission has no function whatsoever with leases, and we
cannot release your lease. For this, you should contact the operator of the well. 41 O.S.
Section 40 relates to the release of leases.
The Commission can issue a Certificate of Records Search under certain
circumstances, which may be filed for record in the county where the land lies. Often, if
the lessor cannot be located, this instrument can help in obtaining a release of a lease. At
this time, the cost for such a certificate is ten dollars per quarter section or section
thereof.
Can I find information about my well on the internet?
Basic well information is available on the OCC website at www.occeweb.com.
Database instructions are provided on pages 31 - 35 of this booklet.
There are also private internet resources you can access for a fee.
How do I get unclaimed royalties that have been turned over to the State?
Contact the Unclaimed Property Department at the State Treasurer’s Office at
45445 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105, (405) 521-4273.
There are several websites you can search for unclaimed property in all states.
12
Frequently Asked Questions About Horizontal Drilling
What is horizontal drilling?
Oklahoma Corporation Commission rules define a horizontal well as follows,
"Horizontal well" shall mean a well drilled, completed, or recompleted in a manner in
which the horizontal component of the completion interval in the geological formation
exceeds the vertical component thereof and which horizontal component extends a
minimum of 150 feet in the formation.
More simply, a horizontal well is one in which the lower part of the wellbore runs
parallel through the producing formation rather than perpendicular to it as in conventional
vertical drilling.
Why is horizontal drilling done?
Greater recovery of oil and gas can be achieved by drilling a mile horizontally
through a formation than by drilling vertically through it. Generally speaking, it is less
expensive to drill one horizontal well than several vertical wells.
13
In which formations or common sources of supply is horizontal drilling usually
done?
Formations with low porosity and permeability are candidates for horizontal
drilling. For example, the Woodford Shale in Oklahoma. Horizontal drilling is also
becoming more common in conventional reservoirs.
How is horizontal drilling done?
A horizontal well begins by being drilled vertically, then, at a certain depth the
crew begins building a curve using a steerable drill bit that results in a horizontal
wellbore in the target formation.
How many laterals can one well have and how long can they be?
There is no limit to the number of laterals that one horizontal well can have.
They must be at least 150’ but can be any length as long as they do not extend beyond the
legal location of the spacing unit. Currently, the longest lateral drilled in Oklahoma is
approximately 10,000’ in length.
If a horizontal well has more than one lateral, is that considered one well or is an
increased density order required?
Multiple laterals extending from a single wellbore to the same surface location are
considered one well and do not require an increased density order.
Laterals extending from a different surface location and/or a different well bore
into the same horizontal spacing unit in which there is already a producing horizontal
well would require an increased density order. Likewise, a horizontal well drilled into a
regular spacing unit in which there is already a producing well in the same common
source of supply requires an increased density order.
How do you know the horizontal wellbore goes where the oil company says it does?
The oil company is required to submit a directional survey with the well
completion report to the OCC for all horizontally drilled wells showing the location of
any point of the wellbore as it relates to the surveyed surface location from the surface to
the terminus of each lateral.
14
What about allowables? If a horizontal well with several laterals is considered one
well, is just one allowable assigned to all the laterals?
Yes, one allowable is assigned to a horizontal well with multiple laterals in the
same spacing unit; however, multiple horizontal gas wells in the same unit each have
their own allowable.
Is horizontal drilling done all over Oklahoma or just in some areas?
Horizontal drilling in Oklahoma is done all over the state but less in the
northeastern part than in other areas.
Is horizontal well spacing different from conventional spacing? How is it different?
Horizontal well spacing is different from conventional spacing in that the
setbacks, or legal well locations, are different for horizontal wells than they are for
vertical wells. For example, in a regular 640-acre square spacing unit, the legal well
location must be 1320’ from the section line. For a horizontal 640-acre spacing unit, the
legal well location is 660’ from the unit boundary.
Commission rules also specify setbacks for different size units and for distance
between wells in the same formation. Certain geographical areas within the state have
special field rules for closer setbacks for horizontal wells.
How big or small can a horizontal spacing unit be? Does it have to be square or
rectangular like other spacing units? What is an irregular spacing unit?
In Oklahoma, horizontal well spacing can be the same size as any other spacing
unit from 10 to 640 acres in a square or rectangular shape. Irregular 640-acres horizontal
units have been created by stacking two 320-acre units, creating a rectangular 640-acre
unit that is one-half mile wide and two miles long.
There is a horizontal spacing unit on one side of my acerage and another one on the
other side but my minerals were left out. Why did this happen? Is this fair?
The oil company probably determined that the geological evidence they gathered
indicated that this was the best way to establish the spacing units to allow them to recover
the greatest amount of oil or gas.
Irregularly shaped, non-square or rectangular, spacing units could be created to
include “orphaned” acreage, but may not be done if not shown to be geologically feasible
or productive. It might not be fair to the mineral owners in a producing unit to include
non-producing acreage into the unit and, therefore, diminish their percentage interest in
the total unit.
15
Why is a horizontal well allowed to be so close to the section line or unit boundary?
Could my minerals be drained by a well outside my unit or could my well be
draining my neighbours minerals?
Typically, a horizontal well does not drain from as great a distance from the
wellbore as a vertical well does so horizontal wells are allowed to be closer to each other
and to the section line than are conventional vertical wells. Every effort is made to
protect correlative rights of the mineral owners and to prevent a well from draining an
adjoining unit.
There is a horizontal well on my land but my minerals haven’t been leased and I
don’t receive a royalty. Why not? Why does the oil company have the right to drill
through my minerals for a horizontal well and not pay me?
Many horizontal wells have a surface hole location (SHL) in one section and one
or more bottom hole locations (BHL) in another section. The interest owners in the
spacing unit from which the well drains receive the royalty from a horizontal well. If you
own the land on which the drilling rig is placed, the oil company must negotiate and
compensate you for surface damages before drilling
16
Helpful Telephone Numbers
American Royalty Council (405) 360-4600
Certificate of Records Search/Non-development (405) 521-4125
Geomap (713) 520-8989
Gross Production Tax Department/Oklahoma Tax
Commission
(405) 521-3233
Herndon Map Service (405) 946-5858
Liquid Propane Gas Administration (405) 521-2458
National Association of Royalty Owners (918) 794-1660
OCC Administrative Law Judges (405) 521-2756
OCC Court Clerk (405) 521-2351
OCC Field Operations (405) 521-2240
OCC Petroleum Storage Tank Division (405) 521-4683
OCC Intent-to-Drill Applications (405) 521-3070
OCC Office of General Counsel (405) 521-2255
OCC Oil & Gas Complaints & Information (405) 521-2613, (800) 522-0034
OCC Oil & Gas Division (405) 521-2302
OCC Pipeline Safety (405) 521-2258
OCC Public Utility Complaints (405) 521-2331, (800) 522-8154
OCC Transportation Division (405) 521-2251
OCC Well Records Department (405) 521-2275
Oil-Law Records (405) 840-1631
Okie One-Call (800) 522-6543
Oklahoma Attorney General (Consumer Complaints) (405) 521-4274
Oklahoma City Association of Petroleum Landmen (405) 840-4111
Oklahoma City Geological Society (405) 236-8086
Oklahoma City Geological Society Library (405) 235-3648
Oklahoma Commission on Marginally Producing
Wells
(405) 604-0460
Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (405) 942-5323
Oklahoma Mineral Owners’ Association (405) 848-2000
Oklahoma Securities Commission (405) 280-7736
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (405) 848-6724
Oklahoma State Treasurer’s Office/Unclaimed
Property
(405) 521-4273
Oklahoma Tax Commission Oil & Gas Research (405) 521-4558
OU Log Library (405) 447-3118
Pangaea (405) 341-0474
Pennwell Maps (918) 835-3161
Riley’s Electric Logs
(now known as A to D Technology)
(405) 848-4407
Sooner Well Log Service (405) 848-3001
17
Calculation of Royalties under SB 168
The following example assumes a 640 acre drilling and spacing unit with interests
described as follows:
Acres Gross Interest
GROUP A: 1/8th
lease for E/2 320 .50000
GROUP B: 1/4th
lease for W/2 320 .50000
Total 640 1.0000
NET REVENUE PROPORTIONATE
INTEREST* PRODUCTION
INTEREST
Working Interest A: .4375000 / .8125000 =
.53846150 Working Interest B: .3750000____________ / .8125000 = .46153850
.81250000 1.0000000
Royalty Interest A: .0625000 / .1875000 = .3333333
Royalty Interest B: .1250000_____________ / .1875000 = .6666667
ROYALTY SHARE SUB-TOTAL .1875000
1.000000
TOTAL NET REVENUE: 1.000000
Each sale generates a ROYALTY SHARE, which is distributed proportionately to
each royalty owner according to his PROPORTIONATE ROYALTY SHARE.
Each working interest owner, who produces its PROPORTIONATE
PRODUCTION INTEREST, produces approximately his net revenue interest under the
Blanchard Decision. However, full communitization of royalty results in re-weighting
of proceeds, if: (1) a spacing unit has multiple tracts; (2) at least one tract has excess
royalty, i.e., royalty greater than 1/8th
of 8/8ths; and (3) gas prices vary significantly
among working interest owners.
*Calculation of NET REVENUE INTEREST:
Working Interest Owner A: 7/8ths x 320/640 = .43750
Royalty Interest Owner A: 1/8th
x 320/640 = .06250
18
OCC County Codes
County Code County Name County Code County Name
001 Adair 079 LeFlore
003 Alfalfa 081 Lincoln
005 Atoka 083 Logan
007 Beaver 085 Love
009 Beckham 087 McClain
011 Blaine 089 McCurtain
013 Bryan 091 McIntosh
015 Caddo 093 Major
017 Canadian 095 Marshall
019 Carter 097 Mayes
021 Cherokee 099 Murray
023 Choctaw 101 Muskogee
025 Cimarron 103 Noble
027 Cleveland 105 Nowata
029 Coal 107 Okfuskee
031 Comanche 109 Oklahoma
033 Cotton 111 Okmulgee
035 Craig 113 Osage
037 Creek 115 Ottawa
039 Custer 117 Pawnee
041 Delaware 119 Payne
043 Dewey 121 Pittsburg
045 Ellis 123 Pontotoc
047 Garfield 125 Pottawatomie
049 Garvin 127 Pushmataha
051 Grady 129 Roger Mills
053 Grant 131 Rogers
055 Greer 133 Seminole
057 Harmon 135 Sequoyah
059 Harper 137 Stephens
061 Haskell 139 Texas
063 Hughes 141 Tillman
065 Jackson 143 Tulsa
067 Jefferson 145 Wagoner
069 Johnston 147 Washington
071 Kay 149 Washita
073 Kingfisher 151 Woods
075 Kiowa 153 Woodward
077 Latimer
19
County Contacts
COUNTY PHONE
NUMBER
WEBSITE WHAT IS AVAILABLE?
Adair (918) 696-7198 None Nothing on a database.
Alfalfa (580) 596-3158 None Nothing by name
Atoka (580) 889-5157 None Public can search records by name on
in-house database. Staff will assist by
telephone at this number.
Beaver (580) 625-3141 None Nothing on a database but they do have
grantor/grantee alpha indices the public
can check. Staff will assist if time
permits.
Beckham (580) 928-3383 None Staff will check alpha database back to
1995. No terminal available to public.
Grantor/grantee alpha indices are
available prior to 1995.
Blaine (580) 623-5890 None Grantor/grantee indices available only.
No database.
Bryan (580) 924-2202 None In-house database available back to
1995. Grantor/grantee indices available
prior to 1995.
Caddo (580) 247-6609 None Public can search by name on in-house
database after July 1993.
Grantor/grantee indices available prior
to 1993.
Canadian (405) 262-1070,
ext. 124
www.cana
diancounty.
org
Can search for records by name online
back to 1987. No other alphabetical
records available.
Carter (580) 223-8162 None Can search by name on in-house
database from 1989 forward. Staff will
assist by phone.
Cherokee (918) 456-3171 None Can search by name on in-house
database back to 1998. Can search
miscellaneous indices alphabetically
prior to 1998. Staff will assist by
telephone.
Choctaw (580) 326-3778 None No records on database. Can search
grantor/grantee indices alphabetically.
Staff will not conduct search.
Cimarron (580) 544-2251 None No records on database. Public can
search grantor/grantee indices
alphabetically.
20
Cleveland (405) 366-0240 www.cleve
landcounty
clerk.net
Land records by name, legal description,
document number back to 1994. Staff
will look up computerized records for
callers.
Coal (580) 927-2103 None Public can search in-house database by
name back to 2000. Staff will assist by
telephone. Public can search
grantor/grantee indices.
Comanche (580) 355-5214 None Public can search in-house database by
name back to 1989. Staff will assist by
phone. Public can search
grantor/grantee indices in person.
Cotton (580) 875-3026 None Public can search in-house database by
name back to 1988. Staff will look up a
name by telephone. Database is
continually being increased to include
older records. Grantor/grantee indices
available for public to search.
Craig (918) 256-2507 None No information on database. Public can
search grantor/grantee indices if they
know the approximate date of the
transaction.
Creek (918) 224-4084 None Nothing available by name.
Custer (580) 323-1221 None Nothing on database. Public can search
grantor/grantee indices.
Delaware (918) 253-4520 None Can search records by name on in-house
database back to 1987. Prior to that, can
search books by name. Staff will assist
by phone with simple inquiries.
Dewey (580) 328-5361 None In-house database back to 2001. Staff
will assist callers by looking up names.
Ellis (580) 885-7301 None No database. Can only search
grantor/grantee books by name. Staff
will not do research.
Garfield (580) 237-0225 None Records are available on a database by
name in-house back to 1990.
Garvin (405) 238-2772 None Records available by name on in-house
database back to 1993. Staff will assist
with simple inquiries by phone.
Grantor/grantee books available back to
1907. Staff will not conduct research of
books.
21
Grady (405) 224-7388 None In-house database available back to
1989; grantor/grantee books prior to
that. Staff will conduct simple database
searches by phone but will not research
books.
Grant (580) 395-2274 None In-house database back to Dec 2002.
No public terminals. Staff will assist
with simple searches. No other
information by name.
Greer (580) 782-3664 None No database. Have miscellaneous index
cross-referenced with grantor/grantee
books that can be searched
alphabetically. Staff will do research for
a fee.
Harmon (580) 688-3658 None Nothing on computer. Grantor/grantee
books only. Staff will not conduct
research.
Harper (580) 735-2012 None Grantor/grantee books only. No
database.
Haskell (918) 967-2884 None Grantor/grantee books only. No
database.
Hughes (405) 379-5487 None In-house terminal available to search
database back to July 1998. Staff will
search database over the phone for a fee.
Grantor/grantee books available prior to
that.
Jackson (580) 482-4070 None Grantor/grantee books only. Staff will
not do research.
Jefferson (580) 228-2029 None No records available by name.
Johnston (580) 371-3184 None In-house database back to 1996 or 1997.
No public terminals. Staff will assist
with simple inquiries. Grantor/grantee
books available prior to database.
Kay (580) 362-2537 None In-house database with public terminals
back to 1997. Grantor/grantee books
prior to that. Staff will not do research.
Kingfisher (405) 375-3887 None Grantor/grantee books only.
Kiowa (580) 726-5286 None Tract index and reception records
available. Staff can’t assist callers
unless it is a specific book and page
request. Can give research referral.
Latimer (918) 265-3065 None In-house terminals available to search
database by name back to 1997. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers if
time allows. Can give research referral.
22
LeFlore (918) 647-5738 www.okco
untyrecords
.com
Select
Leflore
County,
and search
by name
back to
1983. Can
view, not
print,
documents
unless set
up with
county.
Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back 1983. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referral.
Lincoln (405) 258-1264 None Tract index and reception records
available in their office. Staff can assist
callers with records for a fee. Can give
research referral.
Logan (405) 282-0266 None Terminals will be available to search in-
house database by name back to 1980 at
the end of January 2004. Tract index
and reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referrals.
Love (580) 276-3059 None Land records are on their office
computer back to 1993. No terminals for
public use. Tract index and reception
records available in their office. Staff
can assist callers with computer records
only. Can give research referral.
McClain (405) 527-3360 None Terminal available to search in-house
database by name back to 1994. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referral.
McCurtain (580) 286-2370 None Terminal available to search in-house
database by name back to 2001. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give referral
for research.
23
McIntosh (918) 689-2741 None Land records available on in-house
database by name back to 1996. No
terminals for public use. Tract index and
reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only if they have the
time. Can give research referral.
Major (580) 227-4732 None No land records on computer. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers if the
caller has a legal description. Can give
research referral.
Marshall (580) 795-3220 None Land records available on in-house
database by name back to 2000. No
terminals for public use. Tract index and
reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referral.
Mayes (918) 825-2426 None Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back to 1985. Staff
can assist callers with computer records
only. Tract index and reception records
available in their office. Can give
research referral.
Murray (580) 622-3920 None Land records available on in-house
database back to 1997. No terminals for
public use. Tract index and reception
records available in their office. Staff
can assist callers with computer records
only. Can give research referral.
Muskogee (918) 682-7781 None Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back to 1998.Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records if time allows. Can
give research referral.
Noble (580) 336-2141 None Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back to July 2000.
Tract index and reception records
available in their office. Staff can assist
callers with computer records only. Can
give research referral.
24
Nowata (918) 273-2480 None Land records available on in-house
database by name back to 1997. No
terminals for public use. Tract index and
reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referral.
Okfuskee (918) 623-1724 None Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back to 1995. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only if they have the
time. Can give research referral.
Oklahoma (405) 713-1538 www.oklah
omacounty.
org/coclerk
Some land records are available by
name back to 1991. Staff will assist
callers if not too busy.
Okmulgee (918) 756-0788 None Land records available on in-house
database by name back to 1995. No
terminals for public use. Tract index and
reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only if given very
specific information. Can give research
referral.
Osage (918) 287-3136 None Terminals available to search in-house
database by name (surface records) back
to 1998. Tract index and reception
records available in their office. Staff
can assist callers with computer records
only. THE OSAGE TRIBE OWNS ALL
MINERALS.
Ottawa (918) 542-3332 None Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back to 1995. Staff
can assist callers with computer records
only. Can give research referral.
Pawnee (918) 762-2732 None
Land records available on in-house
database by name back to 2000. No
terminals for public use. Tract index and
reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referral.
25
Payne (405) 747-8310 May
implement
in 2004.
Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back to 1995. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referrals.
Pittsburg (918) 423-6865 None Terminals available to search in-house
database by name back to 1993. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records if time allows.
Sometimes have research referrals.
Pontotoc (405) 332-1425 None
Land records available on in-house
database by name back to 2000. No
terminals for public use. Tract index and
reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only. Can give
research referral.
Pottawatomie (405) 273-8222 None yet Land records by name on in-house
database back to 1985. Staff will look
up a name for callers.
Pushmataha (580) 298-3626 None
Tract index and reception records
available in their office. Can give
research referral.
Roger Mills (580) 497-3395 www.roger
mills.org
No land or
mineral
records
available
on-line.
Land records available on in-house
database by name back to 2000. No
terminals for public use. Tract index and
reception records available in their
office. Staff can assist callers with
computer records only.
Rogers (918) 341-1860 None
Terminals are available to search in-
house database by name back to 1986.
Tract index and reception records
available in their office. Staff can assist
callers with computer records if time
allows. Can give research referrals.
Seminole (405) 257-2501 None
Terminals available for public to search
by name on in-house database back to
1994. Tract index and reception records
available in their office. Staff usually
can’t assist callers with computer
records but can give research referrals.
26
Sequoyah (918) 775-4516 None Terminal available to search in-house
database by name back to 1993. Records
prior to 1993 are being entered on
database. Tract index and reception
records available in their office. Staff
will assist callers with computer records
if time allows.
Stephens (580) 255-0977 None Some land records are available on in-
house database by name back to 1992.
Tract index and reception records
available in their office. Staff will assist
callers with computer records if time
allows. Can give research referrals.
Texas (580) 338-3141 www.txcou
nty.com
Land and
mineral
records not
available
online
Some land records available on in-house
database by name back to 1987. Tract
index and reception records available in
their office. Staff will assist callers with
computer records if time allows.
Tillman (580) 335-3421 None Some land records available on in-house
database by name back to 1995. No
public terminals. Tract index and
reception records available in the office.
Staff will assist callers if time allows.
Tulsa (918) 596-5801
Ask for Land
Department
www.tulsa
county.org
Accessible
only by
subscriptio
n or at
Tulsa
County
Libraries.
Some land records are available on
database by name back to 1985. Tract
index and reception records available in
the office. Can locate records by name
on microfiche back to statehood.
Wagoner (918) 485-2216 None Some land records are available on their
computer in their office by name back to
1995. They have tract index and
reception records available in the office.
Staff will assist callers if not too busy.
Washington (918) 337-2840
(918) 337-2834
phone for land
records
www.count
ycourthous
e.org
Some land records available on the
website by name back to 1995. Tract
index and reception records available in
the office. Staff will assist callers if time
allows.
Washita (580) 832-3548 None Tract index and reception records
available in the office.
27
Woods (580) 327-0998 None Tract index and reception records
available in the office.
Woodward (580) 256-3625 None Implemented in-house database in
December 2003. Tract index and
reception records available in the office.
Compiled December 2003 – this information may have changed or been updated.
28
Section Platt with Footages
2640
2310
1980
1650
1320
990
660
330
2640
2310
1980
1650
1320
990
660
330
26
40
23
10
19
80
16
50
13
20
99
0
66
0
33
0
26
40
23
10
19
80
16
50
13
20
99
0
66
0
33
0
31
OCC OIL AND GAS WELL BROWSE DATABASE INSTRUCTIONS
The address is www.occeweb.com
When you get to our home page, hold your cursor over the gold button at the top of the
screen that says, “Divisions.” Pull your cursor down to “Oil and Gas,”, then over to the
list that pops up on the right. Pull your cursor down to “Databases” and click there.
NOTE: If you are using Internet Explorer 7.0 and/or Microsoft Vista, please see special
instructions on this screen before going to the next step.
On the next screen, choose “oil and gas database web applications database” again.
When asked to download something (Oracle, Java Aplet, J Initiator) always choose
the positive response. Depending upon the type of internet connection you have
downloading will be very quick or quite time consuming.
You will finally come to a blue screen with a painting of roughnecks working on a well.
Choose “well browse”.
When you get to the well query page, you can search by well name, API number or
Section, Township, and Range. A “date range” search feature has also been added for
certain records.
The “operator” search field on this screen is to retrieve a list of wells operated by a
particular operator, not to locate an operator’s address and telephone number. You must
use the “operator browse” program to find this information.
You will usually search by legal description. Go to the bottom of this form and enter the
section, township, and range. It is not necessary to enter the county if you know the legal
description. Quarter sections can be added if desired, however, if you enter a quarter
section, and the well is not indexed with quarters, you may not get a complete list of
wells at that location. We suggest first browsing the entire section then narrowing down
the search criteria if necessary.
After entering your search criteria, click “search now” on the upper right side of the
screen. This will take you to the “results” screen where you will see an inventory of all
the wells in the section.
Click on the well you are interested in and the line will turn blue.
Follow the buttons on the tool bar to find the information you are looking for. New
button at the bottom of the screen allow you to link to imaged well records and logs, and
to connect to the “operator browse” database.
32
Click “search” at the upper left side of the screen to conduct another query. Attempting
to conduct another query from the “results” screen could lock up your computer. If you
need assistance, contact the Oil and Gas Complaints and Information Department at (405)
521-2613.
33
OCC OPERATOR BROWSE DATABASE INSTRUCTIONS
The address is www.occeweb.com
When you get to our home page, hold your cursor over the gold button at the top of the
screen that says, “Divisions.” Pull your cursor down to “Oil and Gas,”, then over to the
list that pops up on the right. Pull your cursor down to “Databases” and click there.
NOTE: If you are using Internet Explorer 7.0 and/or Microsoft Vista, please see special
instructions on this screen before going to the next step.
On the next screen, over on the left, choose “oil and gas database web applications
database” again.
When asked to download something (Oracle, Java Aplet, J Initiator) always choose the
positive response. Depending upon the type of internet connection you have
downloading will be very quick or quite time consuming.
You will finally come to a blue screen with a painting of roughnecks working on a well.
Choose “operator browse”.
The first thing you must do is click “enter query” in the lower center of the screen.
If you know the operator number enter it in the first field and click “enter query” on the
lower right side of the screen. The operator name, address, telephone number, and surety
status will be displayed. If you do not know the operator number, tab over to the column
headed “operator name” and type in the name you are looking for. Be sure to enter
enough information but not too much. It is usually helpful to use the wild card, %,
before, after, or surrounding the name you have entered. Click “run query” to display the
operator name. If more than one comes up, click on the line of the one you are interested
in to display the address, telephone number, and surety information.
If you need assistance, contact the Oil and Gas Complaints and Information Department
at (405) 521-2613.
34
OCC IMAGED RECORDS DATABASE INSTRUCTIONS
The address is www.occeweb.com
When you get to our home page, hold your cursor over the gold button at the top of the
screen that says, “Divisions.” Pull your cursor down to “Oil and Gas,”, then over to the
list that pops up on the right. Pull your cursor down to “Imaged Records” and click there.
Choose the type of record you want to look at – usually Oil and Gas Well Records for
completion and plugging reports, or OAP Orders and Case Files for orders and
applications such as pooling, spacing, etc.
For Well Records there are several different search criteria. Only fill in one field if
possible. For legal description run all the digits together ex: 0212n15e. Enter your
search criteria and click “search”
When the list of records appears it may be necessary to view several of them to locate the
record you are looking for. Some wells will be identified by a combination of well name,
API#, quarter section, form #, etc. Click on the item you are interested in and a copy will
appear.
To search for an order or application go to OAP Orders and Case Files and enter the
order number or the cause number. When searching by cause number it is important to
also complete the field “Case Type”, usually CD for oil and gas. This database contains
all Commission records including transportation and public utilities, not just oil and gas
and sometimes the same case number might be assigned to different case types.
When the index for the document appears click the blue ID number on the left to view the
document.
If you need assistance, contact the Oil and Gas Complaints and Information Department
at (405) 521-2613.
Note: County codes used in the Well Browse database are different from those used in
the Imaged Records database.
35
OCC CASE PROCESSING DATABASE INSTRUCTIONS
The address is www.occeweb.com
This database is used to look up OCC causes, applications, orders, hearing dispositions,
etc. Imaged copies are not available here but once you get the cause or order number you
can go to our Imaged Records database to retrieve them.
When you get to our home page, hold your cursor over the gold button at the top of the
screen that says, “Divisions.” Pull your cursor down to “Oil and Gas,”, then over to the
list that pops up on the right. Pull your cursor down to “Databases” and click there.
NOTE: If you are using Internet Explorer 7.0 and/or Microsoft Vista, please see special
instructions on this screen before going to the next step.
On the next screen scroll down and choose “case processing system web application”.
When asked to download Oracle, Java Aplet, J Initiator, etc. always give the positive
response. Depending upon the type of internet connection you have downloading will be
very quick or quite time consuming.
A green screen with a table will appear. Use the pop-up menus labeled 1, 2, and 3 to
choose your search criteria. Example 1) Section 2) equals 3) 24. Click 4) add entry.
Repeat until search criteria have been entered then click 5) find. If you make a mistake
click “remove entry”. However if you need to remove more than one entry you should
“remove all” and start over.
Adding as much information as possible will shorten the search time. Once the list of
documents appears, click on the one you are interested in and follow the tabs in the center
of the screen to retrieve case information.
If you need assistance, contact the Oil and Gas Complaints and Information Department
at (405) 521-2613.