Can anyone tell me how one would go about obtaining production records (and payment records of royalty or shut-in pay) for a well that has been plugged and abandoned?
Here's the scenario--
The grandparents had a lease on a producing well, after they passed, many heirs received
their part of the interest in this well (which was a very small part ). So small that most of the heirs didn't even notice when the "royalty" checks stopped, and today, none of the heirs can find or kept records of the payments. The producer didn't plug the well for 6 years after it stopped producing. So how do they actually determine when this well stopped producing? Sonris shows some production on and off until the Plug and Abandon Date,
but all the heirs say that none received any shut in pay or Royalty for more than 10 years.
Who would have these records, and how would the heirs obtain them?

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Do you have a copy of the lease?
Skip, I've seen the lease but do not have a copy with me. I believe that it states that
shut in pay could hold the lease for up to 2 years. Is there anything else that needs to be
looked at , when I do get a copy of the lease in front of me?
A two year shut-in limitation would be standard. Did the periods of non-production exceed two years? You may wish to post the well serial number so we can review it with you.
Production records on Sonris show no oil produced for over 5 years before it was
plugged and abandoned. Gas Production (mcf) shows a period of 23 months of no
production(0), then the next month shows a single digit of 6 listed as gas production, with the remaining two years of "production" showing mostly (0) except that every
3 months or so there is a (1), (6), and (8) showing in gas production. Is this enough
gas to be considered "production"? (no wonder they never got a check)
I hesitate to post the serial # without discussing with those involved first.
Their main question was does the operator have to comply with a mineral owner's
request to produce the shut in/payment records that date back more than 10 years ago?
Jay-- one of the family members contacted the operator, and was told by someone that they don't have
easy access to that info & not even sure where it would be. How long is the operator required to
keep this info even if the well has been plugged and abandoned? Also, is this information something
that one of the mineral owners should be able to obtain from the operator simply upon their written request, or do they have to go thru a legal process to obtain these records?
Are you trying to get your mineral rights back, or get missing payments? Isn't there a time limit to get missing payments? Do you still own the land?
There is a three year time limit to sue for unpaid royalties.
Have you checked the Louisiana unclaimed property records? Louisiana dept. of revenue

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