Mr. Guice, re: Your Monday, August 23, 10:20 am post in the Eagleford Group.

I agree with much of your comments and frustration. However as a landman who serves mineral owners I have a slightly different perspective which I will mention in brief. Many mineral owners, especially those with considerable acreage holdings and savvy O&G attorneys, realize that not everyone is fortunate to have shale potential. And a number have expressed interest to be flexible in their requirements for lease terms. I have not as yet run across operators with interest in non-shale prospects who have realized that the days of all depth leases and 1/8, 1/6 and 3/16th. royalties are history. I tend to think there is a middle ground where lease bonuses are modest, primary lease terms are short, continuous drilling clauses are accepted by operators and royalty fractions are tiered based on well payout and profitability. Of course this limits the upside for lessees when they do prove up an economic prospect but it should allow them to remain reasonably profitable. In the age of the Internet, unrealistic expectations abound for mineral owners but the opportunity to educate and find workable means of allowing smaller operators to stay in the game is a distinct possibility for those who wish to be creative.