Range Resources: Suggestions for Lessors and Unleased Land Owners

Range Resources has now surpassed Chesapeake Energy in complaints I have received.  That's a pretty sorry state of affairs considering that Chesapeake has been the operator most aggressive in deducting post production royalty and ignoring lessors' requests for a number of years. 

Range has delayed reporting production to the state and paying royalties to mineral lessors under some of their wells on too many occasions over the last year.  Their Jackson Parish well that was completed in early December 2016 only recently reported production to the state and, as far as I know, still has not paid royalty.  Hopefully royalty checks will be received in March.

For those who are leased and Range is the operator of your unit, I suggest the following.  If you have not received payment 180 days after first production date, send a demand for payment by certified letter.  The date the letter is received begins a thirty day response period.  The letter might get you paid, or not, however it does establish your right to demand interest on delinquent royalty payments once Range does begin to pay.  If Range has no compelling reason for refusing to pay after 180 days, you can seek legal counsel for an explanation of your options.  Hopefully you do not have to sue but you have maintained your right to do so by sending the demand letter.

For those who are not leased but are approached with an offer in the future, take heed.  Most standard form O&G leases do not contain a clause for timely payment of royalty.  I would not sign a lease with a company that I suspected or knew represented Range without a clause stipulating the maximum length of time to first payment.  I'd like 120 days but would settle for 180 days because Louisiana courts seem to think that 180 is reasonable.

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Permalink Reply by Jeanie Fallin Simmering on February 20, 2018 at 10:34

Thanks, Skip. We are having that exact problem. RR has not paid us for wells that went online last March, April, and May. They resumed payment in July. We will send the letter you mentioned because I've had email correspondence with someone named Jennifer, and that has been a dead end. She did send us a copy of an email she received from the Landman who has our area in his "caseload", in which he told her he would be happy to speak with her if we would like. I immediately answered that yes, we would want to speak to him directly. That was in December, and I haven't heard anything from her since then, even though we have contacted her again and again. She didn't, and won't, give us his name and contact number, even though he made the offer to speak with us. I'm just fed up.It seems they hold all the cards. I've never heard of a company that uses your stuff, and just pretends no money is owed. I feel like RR is like Bernie Madoff. Jail might be an answer. After all, it is a theft.

Thanks for letting me vent, and for the very helpful information.

Jeanie Fallin Simmering

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on February 20, 2018 at 10:49

Jeanie, I would be happy to refer you to my O&G attorney if it comes to that.  I hope not.  Good luck.

Permalink Reply by Jeanie Fallin Simmering on February 20, 2018 at 11:42

Thanks Skip.We hope it doesn't come to that,but if it does,we would appreciate the referral.

Jeanie

Permalink Reply by James Thomas McCrary on February 25, 2018 at 6:55

Our family would love to be interested in getting in touch with an og attorney.  They keep putting us in runaround on things as well and they won't send a detailed report of the expenses as required. On top of that the check from this month is really fishy! L their is a negative and two positives for.

WEYER 15-10 HC 00

two positives some from production12/2017 then one for Feb 2017 but one negative was also listed under Feb 2017. Im not understanding that maybe can message me to help me understand it more.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on February 25, 2018 at 7:13

James, It's hard to answer without seeing your royalty statement however I need to state plainly that I do not have all the information required to make sense of much of what Range is doing.  I do know attorneys who are suing Range and therefore have a much greater understanding of how and why these issues keep cropping up.  I have performed research in support of their cases but my access to all the facts is limited to what I have done personally.  For those lessors in Range operated units, I will provide a referral by private message on our personal site pages.  If you are a "friend" send me a message.  If not, send me a "friend" request and I will respond.

Permalink Reply by Patrick R. Hinton Jr. on February 20, 2018 at 11:31

Couldn't agree with you any more ! RANGE is a bunch of criminals They have been giving me the run around ever since they took over ! They really don,t care if you seek professional counsel, in fact they want you. I just have to wait and see if they will ever be held responsible for all the people in Lincoln Parrish they have out stolen from. Just received a rather large ck. from them, after a little research the increase went all the back to JAN-17. Then the explanation was that the well had been in " suspence " . I have many more interest in LINCOLN PARRISH that have been online, but  have yet to be seen !

Permalink Reply by Jeanie Fallin Simmering on February 20, 2018 at 11:43

Class action suit! But does anyone win except the lawyers?

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on February 20, 2018 at 14:58

Jeanie, case law makes it tough to certify a class of mineral lessors.  They do not usually meet the "similarly situated" test.  It would take a group with the exact same lease terms and language, in the same unit, with all common gathering and treating conditions.  Class status has been attempted but I am unaware of any successful efforts for the kinds of injuries that we are discussing here.

Permalink Reply by Chris on February 26, 2018 at 10:48

Ms. Simmering, 

Steve Venturatos is the Director of Land- North Louisiana for Range. His email off of the AAPL website is as follows: sventuratos@rangeresources.com

Maybe he can help. 

Permalink Reply by Ben on February 26, 2018 at 10:49

Louisiana mineral code requires that each individual lessor make personal demand against the Lessee or operator for payment of royalty, thus no class action allowable. 

Permalink Reply by Henry on February 26, 2018 at 14:42

OMG!  Can anything or anyone actually be worse than Chesapeake?  I didn't think it possible.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on February 26, 2018 at 15:01

Well hello there, Henry.  You have been long time absent.  Welcome back.

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