HAPL Articles RSS Feed

HAPL State Licensing Update (March 14, 2009)

HAPL Webmaster — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Dear Fellow HAPL Members,

Last week we sent you an email informing you that during a special HAPL board meeting called on March 5th, the board unanimously decided to obtain professional assistance with the ongoing landman licensing issue. I am pleased to inform you that the HAPL has officially retained a Texas Governmental Affairs Consultant.

After numerous telephone conferences with a wide variety of state lobbyists and several one-on-one interviews, we have chosen to engage Todd Morgan as our TGA Consultant. Todd knows the land profession well as his father spent over 60 years as a landman. Todd began his professional career at the Texas Railroad Commission working for Commissioner John Sharp. He learned property issues working 8 years as the Director of State Government Affairs for Temple-Inland, the state’s largest private landowner. We interviewed Todd this past Monday and found him to be a real “go-getter”. Todd is the type who will work hard communicating with all the players – TIPRO, TEXOGA, AAPL and all of the oil industry lobbyists with which many of you work. In the near term, Todd will be working to gather all the facts so we know where this issue is and where we think it is going.

We will be working with AAPL and all of our sister Texas associations to insure we do what is in the best interest of Texas Landmen. Marshall Lochausen, AAPL’s President, has asked us not to mount a grassroots effort directed individually towards Representative Geren at this time. HAPL supports this as well. In the next several days, we will be working towards a strategy which may very well include a grassroots efforts directed at all our state legislators. At which time, we will need all of your help! Please stand ready to join HAPL, AAPL and all of our sister Texas Associations to do what is necessary and most beneficial for all Texas Landmen.

Grant Johnson, HAPL President

Mar 15, 2009 10:00 AM

Landman Licensing Update (March 8, 2009)

Grant Johnson — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:00:00 GMT

The following message was sent to the HAPL membership on March 8, 2009:

Fellow HAPL Members,

Thursday, March 5th, a HAPL Special Board Meeting was held to discuss HB 1405, the Landman Licensing Bill currently in committee before the Texas Legislature. Over the last two weeks your board has worked closely to assess the political climate surrounding this unfavorable bill for landmen. In doing so, we have visited with staff lobbyist from several large oil companies, TIPRO, TXOGA, Texas Real Association and members of the Texas Real Estate Commission. We have visited with numerous independent lobbyist and are in regular contact with AAPL, all in an effort to stay on top of this licensing issue. We are reminded of the outcome of our survey in November where our members expressed their opposition to licensing, let alone licensing under the Texas Real Estate Commission. Based on all the information we have gathered, we believe Mr. Charles Geren's bill to be a real threat to our profession.

It would be easy to sit back and rely on others to deal with this issue and trust that the outcome will be favorable to the 1500 members of HAPL. However, HAPL's Board feels that it's important to take an active role in the opposition of this bill. Given the significance of this bill, your HAPL Board passed a motion to secure political representation in Austin. Unlike many of the parties opposing this bill, HAPL has a single goal in the 81st Texas legislative session, to protect the livelihood of landmen in Texas. In order to do so we need an ear to the ground in Austin. We also need a strategist to guide us. But most of all we need our members to stand ready to get involve should the need arise. We will need to work with AAPL and all the other local Texas Landmen Associations across our state to defeat this bill. Over the next several months you will be receiving periodic updates on the status of our efforts. If needed, we may ask for your help. And if we do, I hope you will join me in fulfilling our common goal.

Thank you for your trust and participation in HAPL.

Grant

Mar 9, 2009 11:00 AM

HAPL Career Assistance Program (CAP)

Robin Green — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT

HAPL Career Assistance Program (CAP)

Career Assistance Committee

To help our members during what could be extended difficult times, HAPL has established the Career Assistance Committee to provide landmen who are temporarily out of work (or in between jobs) no cost opportunities to keep improving their land skills and to network with others members while also helping them in their job search.

Some of the initial services, effective immediately, for members temporarily out of work are:
1. HAPL Luncheons: FREE, registration costs are waived, to register call Diane direct (don’t register on line)
2. HAPL Educational events (Technical Workshop, Saturday Seminar etc): FREE, registration fees are waived, to register call Diane (don’t register on line)
3. HAPL Home Study Courses: FREE, checkout fees are waived, call Diane for the CD
4. HAPL Website Resume Posting: FREE, visit the HAPL website

To be able to register at no charge for the luncheons and educational events, all a Landman must do first is to post their resume on the HAPL Website.

The HAPL wants to help its members who find themselves temporarily out of work Please let us know what we can do to assist. Let’s all get behind our members and provide them with support.

The committee chairman, Robin Green, is looking for people to help him on the committee or to hear any ideas you might have. Give him a call at 713-275-7714 or email him at robin.green@anglosuisse.com.

Mar 2, 2009 11:00 AM

The Confidentiality Agreement

Susan G. Wright — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 21:00:00 GMT

THE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

by Susan Wright, Attorney

Prior to showing a prospect to a potential buyer, the Seller should insist that the buyer execute a confidentiality agreement regarding any confidential or proprietary information relating to the lands involved therein. While there is no standard form, the typical confidentiality agreement should contain the following key provisions:

I.    Definition of Buyer
The definition of Buyer usually includes the Buyer’s employees, officers, directors, agents, advisors, lenders, lawyers and other representatives of the Buyer. It may also include the employees, officers and directors of the Buyer’s affiliates. If, however, the Buyer’s affiliates will not gain access to the confidential information, then Buyer should insist that such affiliates not be included within the definition of Buyer.

II.    Definition of Confidential Information
The Seller will want a broad definition of confidential information, such as the following:

“Confidential information includes, but is not necessarily limited to, geological and geophysical data, maps, models and interpretations and may also include commercial, contractual and financial information relating to the geographical area (Prospect Area) outlined on the plat attached hereto as Exhibit ‘A’ and made a part of this agreement.”

The plat attached to the agreement should clearly and narrowly define the outline of the geographical area covered by the agreement.

III.    Exclusions from the Definition of Confidential Information
Describing the types of information to be excluded from the definition of confidential information is critical to the protection of the Buyer. Typical exclusions include information that:

a.    is already known to, or in the possession of, the Buyer prior to the date of disclosure under the agreement;

b.    is already in possession of the public or becomes available to the public other than through a breach of the Confidentiality Agreement by the Buyer;

c.    is acquired independently from a third party that represents that it has the right to disseminate such information at the time it is acquired by the Buyer; or

d.    is independently developed by, or on behalf of, the Buyer.

The Buyer may also want to negotiate the inclusion of a “mental impressions exclusion” like the following:

“Notwithstanding the return and/or destruction of the material referred to herein, the Buyer and its employees and affiliates may retain mental recollections or other impressions as a result of having reviewed the Confidential Information, Seller agrees that such retained mental impressions shall not in any manner impede or restrict the Buyer or its affiliates from engaging in any aspect of the oil and gas business, or of any other business.”

IV.    Term
The agreement should provide for a reasonable period of time during which the Buyer must keep the information disclosed about the prospect confidential. Agreements commonly provide for a one or two year term from the date of the agreement.

V.    Return/Destruction of Information
Most confidentiality agreements provide that the Buyer will return to Seller all confidential information upon request by the Seller. This provision should also provide that Buyer will destroy any notes or analysis derived by Buyer.

VI.    Disclaimer of Warranties
The Seller should include a disclaimer of warranties to protect itself from a cause of action based on inaccuracy or incompleteness of the confidential information furnished to Buyer. The following is a typical disclaimer:

“The Seller makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the quality, accuracy and completeness of the confidential information furnished to Buyer under this agreement. The Buyer acknowledges the inherent risk of error in the acquisition, processing and interpretation of geological and geophysical data. The Seller, its affiliates, their officers, directors and employees shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to the Buyer’s use or reliance upon the confidential information.”

VII.    Area of Mutual Interest
Some Sellers may seek to include an area of mutual interest clause in the confidentiality agreement. An AMI provision typically requires Buyer to notify Seller in writing if it acquires any interest within a geographical area defined in the agreement and offer Seller the opportunity to acquire all or a portion of such interest at the same cost and on the same terms and conditions as Buyer. The Buyer should insure that the AMI is clearly and narrowly drawn and does not prevent the Buyer’s acquisition of interests in properties in the general vicinity of the AMI.

VIII.    Remedies
In the event of the Buyer’s breach of the Confidentiality Agreement, the Seller may sue for money damages and/or injunctive relief.

Susan G. Wright is a partner in the law firm of Willey, Edwards & Wright, Houston, Texas. She practices primarily in the areas of oil and gas title and transactional matters. She can be reached at 713 650-1550 or susan@wewlaw.com

Mar 11, 2007 4:00 PM

All Pumped Over Production by Kris Wells

Kris Wells — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 05:15:00 GMT

All Pumped Over Production

By Kris Wells, AOGHS Contributing Editor

(Reprinted with permission from the Petroleum Age, Vol. 3, No. 3 (September 2006) quarterly newsletter of the American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS), Washington, D.C., www.aoghs.org/)

When an oilman’s gamble pays off with a producing oil well, much remains to be done before the oil can make it to market. In 1859, “Colonel” Edwin Drake used a common water well hand pump to retrieve oil from 69.5 ft (21 m) at his pioneering well in Pennsylvania in the Appalachian Basin of the eastern United States. It wasn’t long before necessity and ingenuity combined to find something more efficient.

Oil wells will run dry, but advances in technologies can put off the inevitable. Even with the best technologies, more than half of the oil can remain trapped.

The evolution of oil production is reflected in thousands of marginally producing oil and natural gas wells quietly reaching for often stubborn reserves. Low-volume “stripper” wells produce no more than 15 b/d.

The average stripper well produces only about 2.2 b/d. However, according to the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), these wells comprise 84% of domestic oil wells and produce more than 20% of all domestic oil — an amount roughly equal to imports from Saudi Arabia.

Marginal oil and natural gas wells number about 650,000 of the nation’s 876,000 wells, IPAA notes. Once shut down, they are lost forever. Keeping them in production has long been a challenge for a special breed of oilman.

“This is an occupation where most of your work is done in all types of weather while working alone, with few thanks, and possibly only a small herd of cattle as company. This takes a high level of self-motivation,” noted the Oklahoma Commission on Marginally Producing Oil and Gas Wells in 2003. “Everyone is not capable of working alone and efficiently directing their own work efforts and work ethics and be successful.”
It was the same at the dawn of the Petroleum Age.

From jerk lines to eccentric wheels

Marginal quantities of oil always need help leaving the well. In the early days of the industry, oilmen adapted water-well technology to the problem and used steam-driven walking beam pump systems. At each well, a steam engine rhythmically raised and lowered one end of a sturdy wooden beam, which pivoted on a Samson post. The walking beam’s other end cranked a long string of sucker rods up and down to pump oil to the surface. The beam walked and the oil surfaced, but a more efficient system was needed.

One of the early oil pumping innovations came from an 1875 patent: “Heretofore it has been necessary to have a separate engine for each well, although often several such engines are supplied with steam from the same boiler. The object of our invention is to enable the pumping of two or more wells with one engine. By it the walking-beams of the different wells are made to move in different directions at the same time, thereby counterbalancing each other, and equalizing the strain upon the engine.”

However, it was not long before a more compact and efficient mechanism replaced the multiple wooden Samson post and walking beam arrangement.

The 1913 Simplex Pumping Jack was a widely popular offering from Oil Well Supply Co. of Oil City, Pa. A central power source could connect and operate several of these dispersed Simplex units by way of steel rod lines (also called jerk lines.)

Steam power initially drove many of these eccentric power units, but some engines were converted to burn the natural gas or other inflammables often found with oil.

Early internal combustion engines produced only a few horsepower and could not replace steam engines in most applications, but by 1890 they were powerful enough for most portable or remote operations.

Electrification arrived and the heyday of central power units passed, but not entirely. Today, a few miles from Flat Rock, two of Illinois’ once abundant central power units still operate in Crawford County. Ninety-five-year-old Herman Tohill still remembers when Ohio Oil Co. installed the units and rod lines on his grandfather’s land. A pair of sturdy 35-hp Superior gasoline engines provide the power.

Prototypes

A new icon of oilfield success appeared and was soon known by many names: donkey, grasshopper, horsehead, thirsty bird and pumpjack, among others.

As East Texas timber supplies dwindled and the sawmill business declined, the long-established Lufkin Foundry & Machine Co. discovered new opportunities in the oil field and not only survived but prospered.

Walter C. Trout was working in Texas for Lufkin Foundry & Machine Company in 1925 when he sketched out his idea for the now familiar counterbalanced oilfield pumpjack. Before the end of the year, the prototype was installed and working near Hull, Texas, in a Humble Oil Co. field.

Today’s stripper-well pumps still look much like Walter Trout’s original, but they enjoy the reliability and efficiency that 80 more years of evolving technology have produced. Today, Lufkin Industries produces a wide variety of oilfield pumping units designed to meet worldwide customers’ needs. More than 200,000 units have been sold.

Feb 23, 2007 11:15 PM

HAPL Officer's Forum - Bob Ashwander

Bob Ashwander — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 21:00:00 GMT

“Integrity, Influence and Impact”

MISGUIDED ATTEMPT TO LICENSE LANDMEN by Bob Ashwander, HAPL Assistant Treasurer

House Bill No. 689 authored by State Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth has brought into question the integrity of landmen. When I read the article by Mike Lee of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that was printed in the February issue of the HAPL Newsletter, it appears that Mr. Veasey is of the opinion that every Lessor that signs an oil, gas and mineral lease should receive the same bonus consideration and royalty. Furthermore, according to Mr. Veasey, if every Lessor does not receive the same bonus and royalty it is because the landman doing the leasing did not act in an ethical manner. Apparently Mr. Veasey feels that the oil companies should pay bonus and royalty with no regard to location (geologically), complexity of title, or the number of leases to be acquired and managed in order to drill and produce a well.

Someone please call Mr. Veasey and let him know the difference in bonus and royalties that were paid in his district had nothing to do with ethics, however it had everything to do with negotiations. Purchasing an Oil & Gas Lease involves negotiations between a seller and a purchaser, much in the same manner as purchasing a horse, a motorcycle, a car or hey what do you know - real estate. Possessing a real estate license has not stopped real estate prices from being negotiated. Mr. Veasey, do something that will truly make a difference, work on educating your constituents about oil and gas leases. Let the people of your district know that if they are not sure about signing an oil and gas lease or for that matter any legal document, ask an expert or seek the advise of an attorney.

House Bill No. 689 proposes to regulate our ethical behavior. Mr. Veasey’s key to solving this contrived problem would be to have the State of Texas license landmen in urban areas. The Texas Real Estate Commission would determine where licenses are required for landmen to work. Surely all landmen know what experts Real Estate Agents are when it comes to oil and gas. I don’t know about the rest of you boys and girls out there in HAPL land but that scares the hell out of me.

This is where influence comes into play. Right now, without hesitation every Landman that reads this article needs to run as fast as they can and contact their Texas State Representative. If you don’t happen to remember who your Representative is then go to www.house.state.tx.us, scroll down to the “HOW DO I…” box and click on “Find Who Represents Me?”, enter your address and you will then have the name and address of your U.S. Senators and Representatives, continue to scroll down just below this and you will be given the name and address of your Texas State Representative. Call them, email them or even better write a letter, tell your Texas State Representative what a bad idea this is.

Should House Bill No. 689 become law the only things that will be accomplished will be the following:
(1) Our government will get bigger
(2) Business activity will be hindered
(3) The cost of doing business for Landmen will go up
(4) Landmen will be controlled by Real Estate Agents
(5) We will be given another layer of bureaucracy to navigate.

Every member of HAPL should take the time to contact his or her Texas State Representative. If all 1,300 members take just a few minutes to make a call, send an email and/or write a letter, imagine how this could make a positive impact on the decision that is about to be made regarding the future of our profession.

In closing keep in mind that right now they say they just want to require licensing in select parts of the state. Knowing how most government agencies work, in no time at all every Landman in Texas and their dog will be required to have a license and we will all be governed by Real Estate Agents. If you think I exaggerate keep in mind that our Federal Income Tax was established to help meet the fiscal demands of the Civil War. When government says, “We are here to help you”, hold on to your wallet.

Let’s exhibit our integrity by exercising our influence, and impact a decision that will have a direct affect on our future. Contact your friends, family and especially your fellow landmen throughout Texas urge everyone to write their State Representative asking them to vote NO on House Bill No. 689.

Feb 20, 2007 3:00 PM

Texas Is Growing Again by Alan Morgan

Alan Morgan — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:00:00 GMT

TEXAS IS GROWING AGAIN!

By: Alan H. Morgan, CPL
Access Exploration Corp.
amorgan1@flash.net

SectionCheck.com has entered into a marketing agreement with www.drillinginfo to sell and market their extensive database of North Louisiana current and historical oil and gas leasing activity research. Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, De Soto, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Tensas, Union, Webster and Winn Parishes, Louisiana are now found on www.drillinginfo.com. If I could only have one website, www.drillinginfo.com would be my website of choice. I can do quick lease checks, production histories and well histories as well as locate useful other information. www.drillinginfo.com has added many new states. I am speaking in Hot Springs, Arkansas in a few weeks and discovered I could do cursory lease checks on www.drillinginfo.com across the Fayetteville Shale.

I was teaching a class in Midland last week and “stumbled” across several new counties online that I wanted to let you know about. They were being offered through websites that you should be using. Texas now has over 90 counties online through the clerks’s websites or private providers.

www.titlex.com has added Bandera, Denton, El Paso, Henderson, Jefferson, Johnson, Liberty, Palo Pinto, Somervell, Uvalde and Wichita Counties, Texas. www.titlex.com now covers 60 counties in Texas.

http://www.taxnetusa.com/publicrecords/ now has 29 counties online. Among the counties I have not seen elsewhere are Aransas, Bell, Eastland, Hale, Hopkins, Howard, Matagorda, Randall, Refugio, and San Patricio Counties, Texas.

http://courthousedirect.com/ has 33 counties online; bit only half with images only, no indexes. http://courthousedirect.com/ has Llano County, Texas with images and no indexes.

http://www.countyrecords.com/ has 13 Texas Counties online with Camp, Clay, San Augustine and Shelby Counties, Texas unique to this website. http://www.countyrecords.com/ also has Blaine, Creek and LeFlore Counties, Oklahoma online.

https://texaslandrecords.com has 29 counties online. Among its unique counties are Scurry, Taylor and Upton Counties, Texas. https://texaslandrecords.com is owned by ACS which manages records across the country. Their parent website is https://www.uslandrecords.com. They have records in 12 other states.

Please email or call if you find any websites that would be beneficial to Landmen.

I am available to come in-house and tutor companies and individuals on different websites that will make their work more efficient, less costly and timelier. I can be reached at (281) 980-6455 or amorgan1@flash.net.

Feb 13, 2007 1:00 PM

HAPL February Newsletter

HAPL Web Editor — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 14:00:00 GMT

February 2007 Newsletter

Hello Landmen,

Welcome to the HAPL newsletter of upcoming events, articles and HAPL news. We've got lots of interesting content below the Events section. Look for such articles on: Officer's Forum by Ruth Davis, Licensing Landmen Legislation, NAPE, Internet Searches, Cheryl Baker, Tips on using our website...and don't forget to use the services of our newsletter advertisers who help make this newsletter possible.

NAPE Notes

As I write this, the great oil patch networking event has just ended. I find NAPE such a dynamic event where one can: network, make deals, promote your business, check out the competition, learn about new plays and trends, all at once and under one roof! It’s such an uplifting experience that I look forward to it each year (though each year my feet swear “never again”).

The HAPL Icebreaker again was the ultimate oil man’s networking and socializing event. In spite of the miserable weather, we were packed elbow-to-elbow connecting with friends and business associates. The Icebreaker committee did a fantastic job again this year, and a big thank you is very much in order to the Icebreaker Sponsors.

This year at our booth, HAPL’s Diane Snyder, aided by Melinda Barton of Landtemp, Inc., took advantage of our online capabilities and signed up over thirty new members on the spot! (For you stragglers that haven’t renewed your membership for 2007, the grace period for renewing will be closing soon (after which you’ll have to re-apply for membership). Please go online and renew…it’s easy and painless.

January HAPL Luncheon

Please join us for our luncheon on Thursday, February 15 at the Houston Petroleum Club downtown. Our speaker will be Mr. Floyd Wilson, President and CEO of Petrohawk Energy Corporation of Houston. Petrohawk Energy is an independent E&P company whose core operating areas are primarily located in the Permian Basin, East Texas/North Louisiana, Gulf Coast, South Texas, Anadarko and Arkoma regions. Online registration and payment can be done conveniently online.

38th Annual HAPL Technical Workshop

Registration is open for the Annual HAPL Technical Workshop to be held Thursday, April 26, 2007. Thanks to the efforts of Randy Browne of the Haynes & Boone lawfirm, the big news this year for the Workshop is the addition of video streaming which will allow all sites to view and hear the speaker and his or her presentation live! This year’s topics will include: Seismic Operations, Horizontal & Completion Technology, New Well Logging Technology, Production Facilities and Surface Issues, Ethics and a State Federal Update. The workshop will be simulcast at many sites around the country. It will be held in three convenient sites in the Houston area: Downtown, West Houston and The Woodlands. To register for one of the Houston area locations, select the location you want to attend.

Downtown West Houston The Woodlands

NHAPL ½ Day Luncheon and Seminar
Speaker's Name:
Day: Thu 8-Feb-07 12:00 PM
Location: Anadarko Petroleum Tower, 3rd Floor 1201 Lake Robbins Road The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Summary: Seminar Topics and Speakers Loulan Pitre, Jr. - Louisiana s Act 312 Chris Bailey - Ethics Discussion John Randolph Parten - Water Migration & Property Rights Curtis D...

SIPES Monthly Luncheon
Sponsor: SIPES
Speaker's Name: Steve J. Blanke, Exploration Manager, West Texas/Mid Cont., Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Day: Thu 15-Feb-07 11:15 AM
Location: Petroleum Club 800 Bell Houston, Texas 77201
Summary: Mr. Blanke's talk is titled: VERNON FIELD - WAKING UP A SLEEPING GIANT IN NORTH LOUISIANA ...

HAPL Luncheon
Sponsor: HAPL
Speaker's Name: Floyd Wilson, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive, Petrohawk
Day: Thu 15-Feb-07 11:15 AM
Location: Houston Petroleum Club 800 Bell Street Houston, Texas 77002
Summary: ...

San Antonio Association of Professional Landmen 18th Annual Mid-Winter Seminar
Sponsor: San Antonio Association of Professional Landmen
Speaker's Name:
Day: Sat 17-Feb-07 7:45 AM
Location: San Antonio Petroleum Club 8620 N. New Braunfels San Antonio, Texas
Summary: The SAN ANTONIO ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL LANDMEN is pleased to announce and invite you to its Annual Mid-Winter Seminar. It will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2007, at the Petroleum Club of San Antonio. They are inviting landmen, attorneys, division order analysts, lease analysts, paralegals, and others ...

SIPES Monthly Luncheon
Sponsor: SIPES
Speaker's Name: Arthur E. Berman
Day: Thu 15-Mar-07 11:15 AM
Location: Petroleum Club 800 Bell Houston, Texas 77201
Summary: New Ideas and Their Diffusion: A Model for Exploration & Production Companies in the 21st Century by Arthur E. Berman Most petroleum exploration and production (E&P) ...

HAPL Luncheon
Sponsor: HAPL
Speaker's Name: To Be Announced
Day: Thu 15-Mar-07 11:15 AM
Location: Houston Petroleum Club 800 Bell Street Houston, Texas 77002
Summary: ...

Landman 101
Sponsor: Landman101
Speaker's Name:
Day: Sat 17-Mar-07 8:30 AM
Location: Quality Inn Conference Center 2843 NW Loop 323 Tyler, Texas 75702
Summary: For course information, costs and registration go to the landma...

Intro Field Land Practices
Sponsor: AAPL
Speaker's Name:
Day: Thu 22-Mar-07 8:00 AM
Location: Doubletree Hotel San Antonio Airport 37 NE Loop 410 San Antonio, Texas 78216
Summary: Intro Field Land Practices Venue: San Antonio, Texas The course is designed for the field landman, or for the in-house lan...

South Texas Social
Speaker's Name:
Day: Thu 22-Mar-07 5:30 PM
Location: Jim Goode's Armadillo Palace 5015 Kirby Houston, TX
Summary: The Houston Association of Professional Landmen willl host its 2007 South Texas Social at the one-and-only Armadillo Palace, Thursday, March 22nd, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The restaurant is located at 5015 Kirby, just off the Southwest Freeway. Complimentary valet parking is available. Free drinks ...

Articles

Bill filed in Texas State House to Require Licensing Landmen

Author: Mike Lee, Staff Writer

Release Date: Tue 30-Jan-07 7:00 PM

Bill would require oil, gas landmen licenses By Mike Lee, Star-Telegram Staff Writer (Reprint courtesy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) January 23, 2007 FORT WORTH — Oil and gas landmen would have to be licensed by the state to negotiate mineral leases under a bill filed in the state Legislature aimed at cutting down abuses of property owners in inner-city neighborhoods. State Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, filed the bill Monday, the same day the Star-Telegram reported... [More Info]
Posted by: HAPL Web Editor

An Affair Not to be Missed

Author: David Brown

Release Date: Thu 11-Jan-07 11:00 AM

An Affair Not to be Missed Prospects’ Charms to be Displayed By DAVID BROWN EXPLORER Correspondent Some geologists have a knack for attracting money to their prospects and properties. Some geologists couldn’t sell a play if they were Shakespeare. Thousands of hopeful sellers and buyers will gather in Houston for the 15th NAPE Expo on Feb. 1-2. As always, some prospects will get funding and some will remain, unloved, on the table. Why do some plays sell and not others?... [More Info]
Posted by: HAPL Web Editor

HAPL Officer's Forum - Ruth Davis

Author: Ruth Davis

Release Date: Wed 10-Jan-07 9:00 AM

A Landmans Son by Ruth S. Davis, HAPL Secretary By now everyone is aware that the HAPL Officers and Directors are sharing participation and leadership thoughts exemplifying Integrity, Influence and Impact. The following may not quite be the open expression of ideas anticipated from an officer’s forum. But I thought I would share a true story about a gentleman I met outside the town of Kaiserslautern, Germany a couple of years ago. His display of all of those characteristics was... [More Info]
Posted by: HAPL Web Editor

Finding Oil Companies and Banks by Alan Morgan

Author: Alan Morgan

Release Date: Tue 9-Jan-07 5:00 AM

FINDING OIL COMPANIES AND BANKS! By: Alan H. Morgan, CPL Access Exploration Corp. amorgan1@flash.net In my normal course of business I am forever searching for oil companies and banks. Sometimes it is as easy to “Google” the entity at http://www.google.com, but many times it is not. If a company is doing business in Texas, regardless of the state where it is domiciled, that company must file with the Texas Secretary of State. The Texas Secretary of State is found... [More Info]
Posted by: HAPL Web Editor

HAPL News

Cheryl Baker remembered....

Author: Diane Snyder

Release Date: Mon 29-Jan-07 12:00 PM

The following words about Cheryl Baker were written by Melva Thornton of Devon. Cheryl passed away over the Christmas holidays. ... [More Info]
Posted by: HAPL Web Editor

Thank you, NAPE Icebreaker Sponsors

Author: HAPL Icebreaker Committee

Release Date: Sun 28-Jan-07 4:00 PM

HAPL-NAPE ICEBREAKER SPONSORS WITHOUT ALL OF YOU, WE COULDN’T DO IT! MANY THANKS TO: GOLD SPONSORS *Ridgewood Energy... [More Info]
Posted by: HAPL Web Editor

HAPL Webmaster Tip of the Month

Author: HAPL Web Editor

Release Date: Sun 28-Jan-07 4:00 PM

Downloading HAPL Events and Member Contacts onto Your Outlook Calendar Yes, even the computer challenged can transfer Events and Member... [More Info]
Posted by: HAPL Web Editor

Feb 3, 2007 8:00 AM

Bill filed in Texas State House to Require Licensing Landmen

Mike Lee, Staff Writer — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Bill would require oil, gas landmen licenses

By Mike Lee, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

(Reprint courtesy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

January 23, 2007

FORT WORTH — Oil and gas landmen would have to be licensed by the state to negotiate mineral leases under a bill filed in the state Legislature aimed at cutting down abuses of property owners in inner-city neighborhoods.

State Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, filed the bill Monday, the same day the Star-Telegram reported disparities among bonuses and royalty payments to minority and low-income neighborhoods.
Veasey said he began working on the bill weeks ago after hearing complaints about high-pressure sales tactics in his district. Veasey said he has gone through lease negotiations on his home in Fort Worth and on land his family owns in East Texas.

“They have an advantage of knowing this industry and all the nuances and things,” he said this week. “When people get those sorts of letters, they’re very confusing.”

Some minority leaders said the gas companies seemed to be taking advantage of black and Hispanic residents. Gas companies said the disparities are based on other factors, including smaller lot sizes in inner-city neighborhoods and the difficulty in finding drilling sites and pipelines.

Landmen, who buy and sell oil and gas leases from owners, say the bill is unnecessary because most landmen behave ethically.

“We’re certainly for fair treatment of the consumer,” said Robin Forte, executive vice president of the American Association of Professional Landmen, based in Fort Worth. “This is typically an emotional thing going on in the neighborhoods. My bet is, if we examine the facts, the offenses are not what they’re said to be.”

Fort Worth is one of the country’s hottest areas for natural gas drilling, in part because of the plentiful gas in the Barnett Shale, a vast reserve beneath much of North and Central Texas, including Tarrant County. More than 500 wells have been permitted in Fort Worth.

Under the bill, the Texas Real Estate Commission would determine which areas of Texas might need licensing to protect residents’ rights and could establish licensing requirements for those areas.
Veasey said Tarrant County is a logical target for the requirement because it’s one of the few places where gas companies are buying leases directly from homeowners.

In most parts of Texas, oil and gas development happens in rural areas, where the tracts are larger.
If the bill passed, the commission would have to file a report by the beginning of 2008, and eventually landmen could be subject to discipline if they violated ethical standards.

Veasey said licensing landmen would create the same kind of transparency as in home buying, where real estate agents must have licenses.

“I would think some of the larger producers, they would think this is a good idea,” Veasey said. “They’re already good corporate citizens for the city of Fort Worth.”

Oil and gas leases are largely unregulated. Currently, state law exempts people involved in oil and gas transactions from licensing requirements, said Loretta DeHay, general counsel for the real estate commission.

And the Texas Railroad Commission, which governs the oil and gas business, regards leases as private contracts and doesn’t get involved in them, a spokeswoman said.

Forte said it’s better to let the industry police itself. The landmen’s association already has a code of ethics, and the group has drummed out some members for violations.

“The strongest protection we offer for the consumer is to insist that whoever they are dealing with has a certification from either AAPL or another association,” he said.

And he noted, “If a landman shows up to buy your lease, you can hire a landman to represent you.”

Representatives of some of

In the know Need help with gas leases?

There are several sources of information on oil and gas leases.

The city has lined up volunteer lawyers who can advise on leases. The next two meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 3 at the Como Community Center and Feb. 8 at the Riverside Community Center.

The American Association of Professional Landmen offers referrals to landmen who can represent property owners. www.landmen.org

The Texas A&M Real Estate Center’s brochures explain the basics of oil and gas law. Titles include “Risky Business: Mineral Sales by Mail” and “Hints on Negotiating an Oil and Gas Lease.” www.recenter.tamu.edu/pubs

SOURCE: Star-Telegram research

Jan 30, 2007 7:00 PM

An Affair Not to be Missed

David Brown — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:00:00 GMT

An Affair Not to be Missed
Prospects’ Charms to be Displayed
By DAVID BROWN
EXPLORER Correspondent

Some geologists have a knack for attracting money to their prospects and properties.

Some geologists couldn’t sell a play if they were Shakespeare.

Thousands of hopeful sellers and buyers will gather in Houston for the 15th NAPE Expo on Feb. 1-2.

As always, some prospects will get funding and some will remain, unloved, on the table.

Why do some plays sell and not others?

“I think it’s a function of romance,” said Eric Hanson, president of Hanley Petroleum in Houston and past chair of the NAPE board of directors and past president of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen.

That puts the question in a different light: What makes a buyer fall in love with an exploration prospect?

The Hot Spot
There’s no perfect answer, said Roger Soape, current NAPE chair.

“In recent years, the market seems to have favored those prospects that are ready to drill, or almost ready to drill,” he noted.

Often, good supporting data will attract industry interest, especially seismic work.

“People are very dependent on 3-D seismic these days. It may be that projects that are not accompanied by 3-D seismic are at a disadvantage in the marketplace,” he said.

Hanson agreed that “you’ll see a lot of 3-D-defined, one-and-two well prospects being offered.”

“There’s a lot of pure geology plays. There’s a lot of trend plays. There’s a lot of close-in, corner-shot deals,” he added.

Most of all, buyers will be looking for the concept of the moment. And sellers will be featuring it.

“There will be lots of shale -- all the shale plays will be hot. It seems like whatever is hot at the moment, that’s what the play is going to be,” Hanson said.

Higher product prices have brought more money to exploration and turned attention back to almost-forgotten domestic prospects.

Some people look at those areas like old flames.

“People say, ‘We put that deal together back in ‘85,’ then they changed jobs and companies, and now they have a chance to revisit a play,” Hanson commented.

If you want to rekindle an exploration romance, NAPE could be just the place to do it.

Soape founded Roger A. Soape Inc., a Houston land services company, in 1980.

He’s seen the prospect expo grow from a small, barebones meeting in a hotel conference room to today’s major event at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

In the early years, sellers used poster board, butcher paper and fold-up tables to make their prospect pitches, Soape recalled.

“We certainly didn’t have the elaborate and attractive commercial set-up that we have today,” he said.

But it’s the number and variety of prospects and properties, not just the sizzle, that have made NAPE a can’t-miss event.

“You are right there at ground zero where projects are being funded and developed,” Soape explained.

“It has turned out to be the place to be, at least once a year and maybe twice a year, if you are in the oil and gas business,” he added.

Tips of the Trade
Two well-known, recent successes in U.S. exploration had starkly different histories.

Wolverine Gas & Oil Corp. geologist Doug Strickland developed an anticline play in the central Utah fold and thrust belt area (April 2005 EXPLORER).

Famously, Wolverine took the project to two prospect expos and offered it to more than 60 potential industry partners, without finding support.

Wolverine had to turn to small private investors outside the industry to fund its Utah exploration.

In Montana, geologist Dick Findley identified the middle member of the Bakken shale as a potential oil-rich bonanza (June 2006 EXPLORER).

Findley’s company, Prospector Oil, didn’t have the capital to develop the extensive shale play. Based on a recommendation, he took the project to Lyco Energy Corp. in Dallas.

Company chief Bobby Lyle and his staff analyzed the Bakken prospect immediately, and Findley had a deal in less than 48 hours.

Those stories also have famous endings, with the discovery of the Covenant oil field in Utah and prolific

Bakken oil production in Montana-North Dakota.

Two highly successful plays.

One got backing, the other struggled.

“Timing is everything,” said Hanson, and luck plays a major part, too.

You can still improve your odds:

Bring a complete package.
Buyers like to see all the bases covered, to the extent possible. NAPE is a place for fully worked-out prospects, not vague possibilities.

Provide all the support you can.
When you have to defend your project, you’ll need as much evidence as possible. True, 3-D seismic is a good thing -- but not absolutely required.

Be ready to run.
The time from show-to-go is shrinking as more money comes into exploration. Think about drilling sooner rather than later.

Numbers matter.
Maps alone won’t do. You might be dealing with some ridiculously over-quantitative people.

Know your customer.
Prospect expos provide an opportunity for multiple seller-buyer interactions. Make sure you tailor your presentation for each potential industry partner or investor.

Make a case for related, nearby production.
This never changes. Prospects sell better when they are close to known production.

Let’s say your play is in western Alaska and the nearest equivalent production is in east Alabama.

Alabama and Alaska.

Absolutely contiguous -- alphabetically.

And the opposite also applies.

Why did Wolverine Oil and Gas have trouble selling a play in central Utah?

Maybe it’s because that area reportedly had seen 58 dry holes and no production in its exploration history.

Rule of thumb: If you’re pitching a prospect in an area with more than 57 dry holes, you might have a challenge. Be prepared.

Reaping the Rewards
Everyone knows the biggest attraction at NAPE this year.

The 2006 run-up in oil and gas prices has given investors and industry partners cash to spare.

“There’s a lot of money chasing plays,” Hanson said.

With plenty of dollars available, organizers expect a hot environment for deals at NAPE 15.

That wasn’t always the case.

“It’s interesting -- NAPE was founded as a spark plug or a generator of activity. It was at a time when exploration was at a very low level,” Soape said.

In the beginning, no one knew if geologists and other prospect generators would be willing to share play details in public, Soape recalled.

“There were a lot of skeptics when it originally started,” he said.

By necessity, prospect specifics have to be closely guarded, even at a forum like NAPE.

“People have been reluctant to share their work product, because so much of it is creative,” Soape said.

“We encourage sellers at NAPE not to share highly confidential or sensitive information publicly,” he added.

Instead, investors and sellers can meet privately away from the expo floor to discuss specifics and negotiate, Soape said.

From a modest beginning, NAPE blossomed into a major success.

Soape said booth sales have been running 10-15 percent above last year’s pace, and he expects a total attendance of about 14,000.

The size and scope of the two-day expo have produced one of the few complaints about NAPE.

Some registrants say two days aren’t enough.

Soape acknowledged the complaints about time limitations, but said he prefers a short timeframe.

“Because it’s such a condensed period of time, it forces everybody to get busy and get things done in those two days,” he explained.

In addition, he said, the NAPE online Web site features an interactive floor plan and exhibitor list for advance scouting.

“A viewer can look at a lot of things online and kind of pre-screen how to spend time,” Soape said.

He won’t make predictions about the kind of prospects that will sell, except for their unpredictability.

“For whatever reason, the types of projects that investors are looking for seem to change over time,” he said.

You can be sure of finding a wide, and even wild, variety of offerings.

“NAPE is a very inclusive event,” Soape said. “And that’s part of the fun.”

NAPE is presented by NAPE Expo LP, comprised of the AAPL, AAPG, Independent Petroleum Association of America and SEG as limited partners.

Reprinted by permission of the AAPG Explorer Magazine - January 2007 issue

Jan 11, 2007 11:00 AM

HAPL Officer's Forum - Ruth Davis

Ruth Davis — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:00:00 GMT

A Landman's Son

by Ruth S. Davis, HAPL Secretary

By now everyone is aware that the HAPL Officers and Directors are sharing participation and leadership thoughts exemplifying Integrity, Influence and Impact. The following may not quite be the open expression of ideas anticipated from an officer’s forum. But I thought I would share a true story about a gentleman I met outside the town of Kaiserslautern, Germany a couple of years ago. His display of all of those characteristics was hard to miss. His name was Gregg Mace and he was the son of a Landman.

I was visiting my sister who serves in the army and we were both enjoying some time off experiencing the beauty and splendor of Germany. All went well for many days traveling the countryside until the last day before my flight back to the States when her car decided to break down as we made our way back to the base. Not on one of the scenic back roads, but rather on the much heralded Autobahn. We were greatly appreciative that her car stopped close to one of the roadside emergency phones and felt confident that our call would bring a tow truck to the rescue. We made several trips to the phone that day with each call renewing our waning confidence. We were excited when one truck approached but our enthusiasm was short-lived when we realized he already had a car in tow. And unlike Houston where the tow trucks come in mass, that was the only one we saw the entire day on the Autobahn.

Apparently the license plate identified my sister as being from one of the military bases, so I suspect every serviceman who traveled the Autobahn that day stopped to offer assistance. We thanked each of them but decided to hold out for the tow that we anticipated would arrive at any moment. As the minutes grew to hours and the sun started to fade, nervousness set in. The final offer of assistance was from a young man who basically would not take no for an answer. He made us realize that being on the Autobahn at night would be one of those life experiences no one should try. His description of pitch black darkness interrupted only by glaring headlights and cars passing by at speeds well over 100 mph was certainly impressive. And by now we were hungry, thirsty, tired and a little bit scared. With a rope tied between the cars we set out for the next available exit. In and of itself, that was quite the experience since our speed certainly did not match the cars approaching from the rear. He helped us obtain a legitimate tow and waited with us until they arrived. He then left us with his Autobahn insurance card—a gesture that saved us hundreds of dollars in towing fees.

I shared my business card with him so that he could write his name and address for a return of the insurance card he had loaned us. Of course my card identified my occupation and to my total amazement and surprise he started naming off several industry people he knew from New Orleans. Seems his dad had been a Landman with a major company his entire career. Life circumstances had just introduced me to a Landman’s son half way around the globe. It never ceases to amaze me what a truly small world this is!

My sister dutifully returned the insurance card, but I continue to carry the business card with address knowing that a thank you note is in order. Busy with my work on my return it remains on my long list of things to accomplish. It is obvious from the address that he was stationed at one of the military bases—whether as an enlisted man or civilian I’m not sure. So Mr. Mace, please consider this your long overdue thank you. Your timely assistance that day on the Autobahn was greatly appreciated.

And as we head in to the New Year 2007, I extend my thanks to all those who serve our nation, especially those serving overseas away from their families which includes my sister Katie. I wish all of you well and pray for your speedy return home. Your sacrifice truly Influences our wellbeing and greatly Impacts our daily lives. May you fulfill your commitment to serve with Integrity, Honor and Pride.

Jan 10, 2007 9:00 AM

Finding Oil Companies and Banks by Alan Morgan

Alan Morgan — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 11:00:00 GMT

FINDING OIL COMPANIES AND BANKS!

By: Alan H. Morgan, CPL

Access Exploration Corp.

amorgan1@flash.net

In my normal course of business I am forever searching for oil companies and banks. Sometimes it is as easy to “Google” the entity at http://www.google.com, but many times it is not.

If a company is doing business in Texas, regardless of the state where it is domiciled, that company must file with the Texas Secretary of State. The Texas Secretary of State is found at http://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/sosda/index.shtml. The same holds true in most other states. Information on corporations doing business in Texas can also be found at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Website at http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/Index.html. The Louisiana Secretary of State can be found at http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/app1/paygate/crpinq.jsp, the Oklahoma Secretary of State at http://www.sos.state.ok.us/ and the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission at http://www.nmprc.state.nm.us/cii.htm.

It is very common for corporations to be domiciled in Delaware with the Delaware Secretary of State at http://www.state.de.us/corp/onlinestatus.shtml or in Nevada at https://esos.state.nv.us/SOSServices/AnonymousAccess/CorpSearch/CorpSearch.aspx.

Most states oil and gas regulatory agencies require companies that are operating to file with address and phone. Companies registered with the Texas Railroad Commission can be found at http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/divisions/og/ogdirectory/. In Louisiana search SONRIS at http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us/www_root/sonris_portal_1.htm.

It is a little more difficult to trace defunct companies. http://www.oiltrash.com/mergers/mergerlist.cfm has a mergers list. The Houston Geological Society (HGS) and the National Association of Division Order Analysts have merger and acquisition publications.

The FDIC maintains a website at http://www.ffiec.gov/nicpubweb/nicweb/nichome.aspx that chronicles a bank’s history. Bank histories in Texas can be found through the Texas Department of Banking Website at http://www.banking.state.tx.us/CORP/bnkhistory.htm. Active banks in Louisiana can be found at the Office of Financial Institutions Website at http://www.ofi.state.la.us/. In Oklahoma check the State Department of Banking Website at http://www.osbd.state.ok.us/ for active banks.

Please email or call if you find any websites that would be beneficial to Landmen.

Jan 9, 2007 5:00 AM

New Energy Management Program at The University of Tulsa

Ted K. Jacobs — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:00:00 GMT

The University of Tulsa College of Business Administration is celebrating the opening of a new program and the arrival of an energy-industry leader to guide it.

The Energy Management Center will begin accepting students in the fall of 2007.

Leading the Center is Ted K. Jacobs, a landman who spent 20 years in the energy industry working for Getty Oil, TXO Production, Tidemark Exploration and ONEOK. Most recently, Jacobs led a turnaround of a similar program at the University of Oklahoma. "He brings credibility," said Gale Sullenberger, dean of the College of Business Administration. "The industry knows him and the commodity he has been producing. That will be a tremendous asset for our students." Jacobs' first teaching experience was as Director of Energy Management at OU - a program he rescued from the brink of extinction. He found out about the job from the OU alumni newsletter. In it, he read that the university wanted to rebuild the Petroleum Land Management program and have an OU graduate with experience in the oil and gas industry lead the effort.
Jacobs had no classroom experience, but he lifted the program back to national prominence after it fell from 900+ students to only four because of the 1980s oil slump. Now, he's bringing that nine years of experience at OU to The University of Tulsa. "We're right in the center of the energy industry," he said. "This is a chance for TU to become the energy capital of the world, just as the City of Tulsa once considered itself the oil capital of the world."

The program will combine the highly respected petroleum engineering, geology, law, risk management and energy-based continuing education programs already at TU with energy trading expertise and emerging studies, such as alternative energy. Jacobs has visited major energy companies to find out what skills their prospective employees need and what they think is missing from recent hires.
What he found out is that students need more knowledge of finance and economics. They also need a foundation in energy commodities trading because if upstream oil drilling is all that students understand at graduation, they may be without jobs if the price of oil falls. "Energy companies are not called oil and gas companies anymore, it is not just petroleum," Jacobs said. "It's about all sources of energy. Students will graduate from TU's Energy Management program with a very well-rounded understanding of the industry."

Highlights of the Energy Management Center
•    The TU Energy Management program will be one of only five such university programs in the country.
•    Jacobs joined TU on September 1st and is developing industry partnerships and working with the TU faculty to develop the curriculum.
•    Students will be eligible for energy-related internships starting next summer.
•    The first students will be welcomed in the fall, with an expected enrollment in three years of 80 to 100 students and 20 to 30 graduates per year.
•    The program will rely heavily on the energy industry for scholarship support.
•    Midstream energy commodities trading will be an integral part of the new program in addition to upstream development.
•    The Energy Management curriculum will incorporate energy-related courses from business, petroleum engineering, geology and law.
•    Jacobs will maintain constant contact with the industry so that he can update the curriculum as needs in the energy industry change.

Dec 19, 2006 8:00 PM

Titusville, PA

Alan Morgan — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:00:00 GMT

TITUSVILLE, PA!

By: Alan H. Morgan, CPL

Oil was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859. There are leases from that time that are still effective today. Although Crawford County, Pennsylvania where Titusville is located is not online, there are many other useful Pennsylvania websites to use. I was surprised at the numbers of counties online in Pennsylvania. Thirty-eight out of sixty-four counties have theirs recorder’s records online over some time period.

      The Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds where Pittsburgh is located can be found at https://recorder.county.allegheny.pa.us/palr/pa003/index.jsp. Beaver County at http://www.co.beaver.pa.us/Recorder/index.htm. Butler County is at http://www.co.butler.pa.us/recorder/. Centre County at http://www.co.centre.pa.us/133.asp. Chester County at http://dsf.chesco.org/recorder/cwp/view.asp?A=1519&Q=606686. Columbia County at http://www.columbiapa.org/reg_rec/landex.html. Dauphine County at http://www.dauphinc.org/deeds/. Delaware County at http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/depts/recorder.html. Erie County can be found at http://ecclerk.erie.gov/. Greene County at http://www.co.greene.pa.us/secured/gc/depts/lo/rr/index.htm. The Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds is found at http://www.lancasterdeeds.com/lanco_rod/site/default.asp. Montgomery County is at http://www.montcopa.org/rod/. City of Philadelphia at http://philadox.phila.gov/picris/splash.jsp. The Union County Recorder of Deeds is at https://pa.uslandrecords.com/palr_new/PalrApp/index.jsp. Westmoreland County is at http://www.wcdeeds.us/dts/default.asp.

      http://www.landex.com/remote/ provides Recorder of Deed Records for Bradford, Bucks, Clearfield, Columbia, Lebanon, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Somerset, Tioga and York Counties, Pennsylvania. Unlike counties in Texas, this website charges by the minute.

      http://www.infoconcountyaccess.com/ provides Internet access for Armstrong, Bedford, Clarion, Clinton, Cumberland, Erie, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lawrence and Potter Counties, Pennsylvania. This website also charges by the minute.

      In Texas in the Barnet Shale, Johnson and Palo Pinto have recently come online at http://www.titlex.com/.

      Please email or call if you find any websites that would be beneficial to Landmen.

      I am available to come in-house and tutor companies and individuals on different websites that will make their work more efficient, less costly and timelier. I can be reached at (281) 980-6455 or amorgan1@flash.net.

Dec 11, 2006 9:00 PM

Working Louisiana?

HAPL Web Editor — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 12:00:00 GMT

Get up to speed on the latest from the Louisiana Office of Mineral Resources.

- State lease sale schedule and results

- New legislation affecting explortion and production in Louisiana

- Louisiana O&G news

- Link to SONRIS

Nov 24, 2006 6:00 AM

Texas Coverage is Growing Again!

Alan Morgan — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

By Alan Morgan

I recently received a letter from www.taxnetusa.com advising that the website, which previously only contained various counties’ Appraisal District Records, now has some County Clerk’s Records online. Among the new County Clerks’ Records not online at any other websites that I know of are Howard, Matagorda and Refugio Counties. These are active counties that we all need access to. www.taxnetusa.com has many other counties online that are online via other websites as well. I spoke to Stuart Morrow with www.taxnetusa.com who further advised that Midland, Eastland, Gregg and Hale Counties will be up by the time you read this article. As usual, evaluate each website for the period covered and access to information. Not all websites are equal!

www.texaslandrecords.com has added Howard County as well along with Taylor and Upton Counties.

I noticed that you can now search the Grantor/Grantee Indexes in Johnson County at http://www.courthousedirect.com/ .
www.taxnetusa.com principally contains Appraisal District information. That is helpful when trying to locate surface ownership. Remember that not all surface owners are mineral owners, but usually there is an overlap in mineral and surface allowing you to make calls to do a cursory lease check.

www.taxnetusa.com covers more counties than any other Appraisal District website.

Other Appraisal District websites covering numerous counties are http://www.txcountydata.com/, http://www.pandai.com/ (Pritchard & Abbott), http://www.myswdata.com/sdsCounty.aspx (Southwest Data Solutions) and http://www.trueautomation.com/. Do not neglect to query each respective County Appraisal District separately as needed.

Please email or call if you find any websites that would be beneficial to Landmen.

Oct 17, 2006 9:00 PM

US Strategic Petroleum Reserves - A Brief Overview

Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 03:00:00 GMT

Strategic Petroleum Reserve Storage Sites

Emergency crude oil is stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in salt caverns. Created deep within the massive salt deposits that underlie most of the Texas and Louisiana coastline, the caverns offer the best security and are the most affordable means of storage, costing up to 10 times less than aboveground tanks and 20 times less than hard rock mines.

Storage locations along the Gulf Coast were selected because they provide the most flexible means for connecting to the Nation's commercial oil transport network. Strategic Reserve oil can be distributed through interstate pipelines to nearly half of the Nation's oil refineries or loaded into ships or barges for transport to other refineries.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve caverns range in size from 6 to 35 million barrels in capacity; a typical cavern holds 10 million barrels and cylindrical in shape with a diameter of 200 feet and a height of 2,000 feet. One storage cavern is large enough for Chicago's Sears Tower to fit inside with room to spare. The Reserve contains 62 of these huge underground caverns.

How the SPR Storage Sites Were Created

Salt caverns along the Gulf Coast have been used for storage for many years by the petrochemical industry. When the U.S. Government decided to create the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the mid-1970s, it acquired previously created salt caverns to store the first 250 million barrels of crude oil. This was the most rapid way to begin securing an emergency supply of crude oil following the oil shocks of the 1970s. To stockpile oil beyond the first 250 million barrels, the Department of Energy created additional caverns.

Salt caverns are carved out of underground salt domes by a process called "solution mining." Essentially, the process involves drilling a well into a salt formation, then injecting massive amounts of fresh water. The water dissolves the salt. In creating the SPR caverns, the dissolved salt was removed as brine and either reinjected into disposal wells or more commonly, piped several miles offshore into the Gulf of Mexico. By carefully controlling the freshwater injection process, salt caverns of very precise dimensions can be created. For every barrel of crude oil to be stored in the SPR's salt caverns, it took 7 barrels of water to create the storage space.

Besides being the lowest cost way to store oil for long periods of time, the use of deep salt caverns is also one of the most environmentally secure. At depths ranging from 2000 to 4000 feet, the salt walls of the storage caverns are "self-healing." The extreme geologic pressures make the salt walls rock hard, and should any cracks develop in the walls, they would be almost instantly closed.

An added benefit of deep salt cavern storage is the natural temperature difference between the top of the caverns and the bottom – a distance of around 2,000 feet. The temperature differential keeps the crude oil continuously circulating in the caverns, maintaining the oil at a consistent quality.

The fact that oil floats on water is the underlying mechanism used to move oil in and out of the SPR caverns. To withdraw crude oil, fresh water is pumped into the bottom of a cavern. The water displaces the crude oil to the surface. After the oil is removed from the SPR caverns, pipelines send it to various terminals and refineries around the nation.

This article reprinted with permission of the Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Oct 12, 2006 10:00 PM

O Earth Scientists, What Changes Hath Thou Seen?

Jim Richards — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 18:00:00 GMT

By Jim Richards

Taking a cue from the inscription over the old geology building at the University of Texas at Austin, the following summary from my point of view outlines many changes that have taken place in the last 50 years in the way we earth scientists look for oil and gas.

In earlier years, we fashioned hand contoured subsurface maps by utilizing old strip and drillers logs that were meticulously descriptive in lithology. The strip logs were plotted by geologists at the wellsite as the bit made its way through the depths of the earth using standard legends that were taught in the geology textbooks. Many early logs were made from cable tool cuttings, and when a show was encountered just about all the subsequent samples also had shows due to contamination. However as the newer drill bits were perfected and specific mud systems were designed, the cuttings became more reliable, and identifiable, and it was fairly east to make a more accurate hand plotted strip log.

In hard rock country, samples were taken about every 10 feet because the drilling was fairly slow, so the well site geologist had to be on top of every sack of samples taken off the rig shale shaker. In many cases the rig always had a geolograph to plot the drilling time alongside the lithology description, and the hand plotted strip log therefore took shape as a correlative instrument.

When any drilling break was encountered in a prospective reservoir, the well site geologist was obligated to tell the driller to circulate the break so that the cuttings could be analyzed for any shows of oil or gas.

It was extremely important for the geologist to immediately utilize the microscope and ultra violet light box to examine the washed samples both under white light and UV light. Some oil trapped between the tiny grains cannot often be seen under the ultraviolet light with the naked eye, so the location geologist often had to cloak a hood over both head and microscope to examine the cuttings while they were under the UV light. Sometimes a mere speck of fluorescence could indicate a prospective reservoir.

Should a show be indicated, it was sometimes advised to cut about 6 to 10 feet of the break and call for a drill stem test. For a good seal, the drill stem test packer was often set in a lime break above the show in a sand if one was present, or in the top foot of sand or limestone that had a drilling break and sample show. When the packer was set and the tool was opened to the surface, the geologist or company man was required to sniff at a hose protruding from the drill stem to report and document the time when gas reached the surface. The well was then turned to the pit to flare the gas and oil if the test proved successful.

By utilizing the above procedures, a good geologist always knew well in advance what he had in the well and how it was running before any electrical well logging was performed. In those days, running an electric well log often merely became a formality for confirmation of the formations penetrated. Mud logging was in its infancy at the time and was not readily available at the well site, although some gas detectors were used.

In many parts of the country, the well site geologist therefore had to stay at the well site for weeks at a time, and in some cases as much as a year for the deeper tests. Most small rigs had no bunkhouses so the wellsite geologists had to run samples on the rig floor and even sometimes on the hood of cars on location. Often one had to sleep in the company vehicle while waiting for the next round of cuttings to be sacked and delivered by a roughneck.

Many of the early logs were run from a truck with a drum mounted outside on the rear of the vehicle which exhibited a roll of logging paper that recorded spontaneous potential and resistivity curves from a friction mounted stylus much similar to a device that records earthquake waves today. As logging methods improved, images were burned onto the film from an installed camera that featured moving beads of light that could be viewed through a narrow slit in the trucks interior panel. The beads of light moved from right to left depending upon SP and resistivity values. Investors and geologists often bumped heads while attempting to peer into that narrow slit to obtain an early glance of what the resistivity might be in prospective reservoir. After logging, a curtain was pulled across the truck’s small interior darkroom and the canister containing the film was developed. Later, after the film had dried, groups of interested parties could often be seen outside the logging truck unrolling the film to view the results. More waiting was then necessary to have multiple copies of field prints made, and an aroma of ammonia used in the printing process almost always permeated the area around the truck

As communication was difficult in many remote areas, the well results had to be phoned in by telephone at the nearest town, which was often miles away and behind several arm wrestling post mounted barbed wire gates. There were no cell phones or fax machines and few of the land-drilling contractors had radios. Some logging trucks had radios but often they had a limited signal range. Offshore rigs had communications facilities but the log copies had to be delivered either by helicopter or workboat.

Today, modern technology has made all of the above almost all obsolete. We have computers at the well and at the office with satellite capability to monitor drilling activity, which can be analyzed immediately. Cuttings are examined by sensitive mud logging techniques and well logs come right from the logging truck in color to us though email accounts. Maps and cross sections are made by advanced computer software systems and 3D seismic technology has made those hand contoured maps a thing of the past, and taken the guesswork out of a lot of our business.

It is amazing to have witnessed so many changes in ones lifetime. The earth scientists of today and tomorrow will undoubtedly see further advancements of our profession in the future, but the tales and reflections of how we got to this point will remain with our older generation as long as we are here. As in all things, change is certain, and we certainly say that our profession has witnessed some of the biggest ones.

* * * * *

Jim Richards is a Houston based, Independent Certified and Licensed Petroleum Geologist with 46 years of experience in Texas, New Mexico, South Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. BS in Geology from University of Texas in Austin and Retired US Navy Commander. Served on the Board of Directors of Houston Geological Society, Treasurer of Houston SIPES and as an AAPG Delegate for many years.

Oct 9, 2006 1:00 PM

Integrity, Influence and Impact

Randy Browne — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Dear HAPL Members:

Our Association’s theme this year asks us to consider how we can use our integrity and influence to impact our industry and our community. That made me ask myself what integrity really is to make sure I had some of it.

Black’s Law Dictionary defines integrity as “The soundness of moral principle and character, as shown by one person dealing with others in the making and performance of contracts, and fidelity and honesty in the discharge of trusts, synonymous with honesty and uprightness.” Other words that come to mind that reflect the attributes of integrity are; fairness, loyalty, respect, achievement, excellence, and success.

In order to have integrity one must have an introspective life and consciously adopt a set of core values, morals and ethics. In addition, one must practice his profession based on a solid foundation of these principals. It does not stop there. We have the responsibility to promote those morals and principals to those around us and others must be influenced by these qualities. That means we are a role model.

We all know whether we have integrity and to what degree. However, our integrity is recognized by others based on their perception of our outward demonstration of the qualities described above. Do our friends, family, and colleagues recognize these traits in us? Would they describe us as a person of high integrity? I can think of no higher compliment if they do.

I am privileged to say that over the span of my career I have met many landmen of the highest integrity. I meet them in my day to day business. I meet them at HAPL events where our members come to educate themselves, engage in important community service activities, and meet other landmen in the pursuit of opportunity and friendship. Over the years our organization has come a long way in raising the profile of the professional integrity of landmen in the public eye by promoting high ethical standards of fair and honest dealing and creating opportunities for our profession to show our moral character by serving the community. We ARE truly impacting our industry and community. I must say, I am proud to be a landman and I am proud to be a member of HAPL, an organization of integrity made up of so many landmen of integrity.

Sep 3, 2006 10:00 AM

Mr. J. Pat Foster, CPL, named 2006 HAPL Outstanding Senior Landman

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:00:00 GMT

J. Pat Foster named 2006 HAPL Outstanding Senior Landman

J. Pat Foster’s qualifications for being named the 2006 HAPL Outstanding Senior Landman are second to none. In general, he has 47 years of energy experience, spanning such duties as corporate management, exploration, production, and land activities. He’s been a catalyst in helping to build oil companies through his direct involvement in all aspects of the business - from staffing departments . . . raising capital . . . assembling plays . . . selling deals . . . drilling deals . . . developing fields . . . to selling companies - and everything in between.

Specifically, Pat started with a top-notch education, earning a BBA in 1963 from The University of Texas, majoring in both Petroleum Land Management and Petroleum Engineering. Pat is a Certified Professional Landman, and has kept abreast of changes in the industry over the years by continually attending numerous seminars and continuing education programs. Pat’s employment history has taken him to many different cities, and allowed him to utilize his skills in companies of various sizes. He began his employment with a short stint as a Right-of-Way Agent for the Texas Highway Department. From there, Pat moved on and would spend 15 years with Union Oil Company of California, working in Houston, New Orleans and Jackson before returning to Houston as District Land Manager in 1976 and 1977. While in Jackson, Pat played a pivotal role in the assembly and discovery of Chunchula Field in South Alabama, which at that time was the largest Onshore discovery for Unocal in 25 years. From 1977 – 2001, Pat served as Vice President and Land Manager at notable companies, such as Cayuga Exploration, Tomlinson Interests, Texas General Petroleum Corporation, Wagner and Brown, and Horizon Exploration Company.

Currently, Pat is consulting for various oil and gas companies in Houston. For Pat, though, it’s never been all work and no play. His family and personal life have been a source of both significant strength and immense pleasure for him over the years. In 1960, Pat married his wife, Patti, who promptly put her college and career pursuits on hold while Pat got his degree. She would later return to college, and graduate with honors. Their two sons (Dr. Mitch Foster, a dentist, and Jay Foster, an electrical engineer) continue to be a source of pride for their mother and father, due in part to the success they’ve had in their respective professions. As youngsters, Mitch and Jay were very active, and Pat was active right there with them. He was not only their Little League Coach, but League President as well. He originated and organized the Klein Forest Parents’ Association, and served as President of the Klein Forest High School Football Parents’ Association. In addition, Pat has been a role model for his children, doing such things as serving as a Deacon, Director and Sunday School Instructor for various churches.

To summarize, Pat’s attitude about one of his accomplishments kind of sums up why he’s a logical choice for this award. Obviously, the man has a tremendous number of professional accomplishments and a great track record; but, he says the professional accomplishment he takes the greatest pride in, is a deal where Horizon assembled and shot a large 3-D Survey in Ft. Bend County which encompassed the George Ranch. The George Ranch is an entity that over the years has made significant charitable donations, with a philosophy of helping people who help themselves. The 3-D survey resulted in a 70 BCF discovery, which allowed the struggling Ranch to avoid liquidation, and thereby perpetuated the sizable donations being made by the ranch to over 40 different organizations for needy women, children, hospitals, schools and other community groups. It’s this type of unselfish attitude (that of taking pride not only in the individual professional accomplishment, but also in the greater good that it serves), that says all that needs to be said about our 2006 HAPL Outstanding Senior Landman, Mr. J. Pat Foster.

Aug 3, 2006 11:00 AM