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Comment by Frances on September 28, 2012 at 12:54

SM, EXCO and EOG are great.   Devon not so much.

Comment by John Brewster on August 24, 2012 at 8:40

This strikes me as an example of a silly subject in the sense that most comments provide no meaningful information to mineral owners and royalty owners.  In most instances, mineral owners deal with third party landmen who represent the eventual operator.  That land company may not reflect the attitudes/desirability of its client.  Then there are two primary types of royalty owner expeience: (1) non-surface mineral owner, and (2) surface owner lessor.  Those who do not own the surface are primarily concerned with the timing and accuracy of payment.  The surface owners obviously have different issues in judging operators.  Many royalty owners are determined to believe that they are being cheated.  For a few that may be true, but in the vast majority of situations, it is no.  Based upon all this, I wonder what companies did to earn a place on people's best list (other than pay on time), and I wonder what was done to merit a place on the worst list (if it was a specific act or a general feeling of dishonesty)?

Comment by Thomas L. Trippe on August 16, 2012 at 10:28

I have 2 sand wells and 1 Haynesville shale well in DeSoto Parish.  J-W Operating has put them all in and I could not be more pleased.  My royalty payments are direct deposited to my checking account on the 15th day of each month (unless it is a weekend).  Never missed.  J-W should be #1 I think.

Comment by ALongview on August 8, 2012 at 4:39

SM Energy has been great

Devon is also very good

Comment by Krkyoldhag on April 10, 2012 at 5:48

I have some friends who own a small oil company in Harleton, Tx .. He mentioned that he got a forecast letter from one of the organizations he subscribes to with opinion that oil and gas prices will continue to fall and not recover for five years or so.

Their wells are beginning to cost more to maintain then income warrants.  He has always warned that the gas wells will deplete quickly.  Not sure I agree with the forecast of continued dropping or the rapid depletion.  I know some old gas wells that have been producing for 30 years or longer.

Comment by Krkyoldhag on April 10, 2012 at 5:45

What I know of Samson is first hand. Three years ago they came to me saying we going to drill right here on your land (they hold lease thru old Placid lease with min. production on an old 1950's well).  Then last August they came and built a road (never put the gravel on it) left me with a pad and two huge open pits.  Didn't move a rig in.  KKR bought Samson out that month.  Looks to me like KKR might be a flipper and that my minerals might be sold off to some Asian group to hold til whenever. 

I am old and don't figure there will be a gas well drilled on my lease in my place in my lifetime.  But that's my experience with Samson.

Comment by Aubrey C. Sanders, Jr. on March 31, 2012 at 5:50

Nick, this is a topic which everyone should consider before leasing. Over a period of more than 50 years I have kept mental note of companies I will never deal with. Fortunately a large number of those go bankrupt in a few years. When they do they salvage everything and walk  away leaving open well bores. Then they start a new company under different name but with same players. Therefore one needs to learn who hides behind the mask to know who is pulling the strings. Most of these are small time players in shallow formations such as Tokio, Buckrange, Pettgit and Cotton Valley formations. Needless to say, my list of those I will never do business with is longer than those I will do business with.

My favorite all time companies to deal with include XTO, Fina, Phillips, and Will Drill.

Comment by nick waters on March 31, 2012 at 1:47

My considerations is based on my experience with the entire process from Leaseing to Payment. Not just how much gas or oil is produces, how many wells they can drill in a given time. This is mostly about just being helpful and mindfull that mineral owners are a very intregal part of the process and should not be treated as anything else but equals. Our expertise just comes from trying to manage our property. Be it surface or 12,000 feet below the surface.

Best

1) EOG

2) Sonerra

3) SM

4) Valence

5) XTO 

 

 

 

Worst

1) Samson

2) CHK

3) XCO

4) COG

5) HK