Answering A Reader's Question -- March 18, 2025

Locator: 48527PORTER.

A reader wrote me with a question regarding minerals from the two wells noted below.

The Porter XE well:

• #39720, Porter 25-36 XE:
• spacing unit: 2560-acre spacing unit
• sections 25 / 26 / 35 / 36 - 151 - 101

The LA-Lily Anne well:

• #40943, LA-Lily Anne 25-36H MB,
• spacing unit: this well is still confidential but I'm 99.999% sure the spacing unit:
• spacing unit: 1280-acre unit
• sections 25 / 36 - 151 - 101

Permit application for the Porter 25 - 36 XE well, with 2560-acre (four-section) spacing:

A reader writes:

I have mineral rights that are in the spacing of the Porter Well that shares in the royalties - wouldn’t that logically follow that those rights would also participate in the La-Lily Anne 25-36H? 

I have been going back and forth with the ND Oil & Gas website map of the Porter well and the Driller’s Edge map of the La-Lily Anne well, and can’t see why...

The reader did not provide any additional information.

If the above is accurate, this is the explanation:

The writer has mineral rights in section 26 - 151 - 101 and possibly/probably other sections but does NOT have mineral rights in section 25 -151 - 101. That happens all the time. The original homesteader owned mineral rights in one section but not the adjoining section.

So, again, repeating, the writer has mineral rights in section 26 - 151 - 101 (and possibly/probably other sections to the north or south) but does NOT have mineral rights in section 25 - 151 - 101.

The Porter 25-36 XE well (#39720) is a section line well, that has spacing for four sections (sections 25 / 26 / 35 / 36 - 151 - 101). Because the reader has mineral rights in section 26 - 151 - 101 he receives royalties from the section line well, with four-section spacing. [It does not matter on which side of the section line the horizontal runs.]

However, the LA-Lily Anne well (still confidential, so this is conjecture, but I'm 99.999% sure I'm correct) is spaced for sections 25 / 36 151 - 101. The reader does not have minerals in either of those sections and thus will not receive royalties from that Porter well.

The maps:

Hopefully this first graphic isn't too complicated. The "blue stars" are the four sections in the Porter XE line section well in the 2560-acre / four-section spacing unit.

The "pink stars" are the two sections in the LA-Lily Anne 1280-acre / two section spacing unit.

I think that's all that's needed but below: two screenshots of the same spacing unit, the 25 / 36 - 151 - 101 (1280-acre, two-section) spacing unit. The top screenshot with without the "big box." The bottom screenshot with the "big box" / "description" of the LA-Lily Anne well.

I will post this for the reader; it will benefit others with the same question.

If it turns out, I am wrong, and the reader has minerals in section 25 - 151 - 101 or section 36 - 151 - 101, then the reader should be getting royalties from this new LA-Lily Anne well. 

Disclaimer: I often make typographic and content errors. I often misread things. I think the above is accurate based on the information I am provided (at least one well of interest is still on confidential status). If I've made any mistake, I'm sure readers will let me know. LOL.