Petroleum Landman School, LLC
Course Agenda
The Petroleum Landman School , LLC course is not a seminar or strict lecture format. Instead, it is an interactive learning environment where students are introduced to all of the concepts of the land management profession from title research to regulatory obligations, creating accurate reports, understanding the terms of the oil & gas lease, working interest and net revenue interest, curative title documents, and much more. In addition, you will learn about requirements made of the independent contractor. The Landman must learn to be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel as well as deed plotting software. Few professions require more diversity of skills. When considering the fact that no well is ever drilled without the services of a landman, the importance of the landman's role cannot be overstated.
Here is an overview of the Landman
Basic Title Course Agenda: (16 Hours)
Here is an overview of the Landman Basic Leasing
Course Agenda: (16 Hours)
1) WHO NEEDS A LANDMAN
a) Determine surface, mineral and leasehold ownership
b) Search for existing unexpired leases
c) Prepare reports of these findings
d) Settle surface damages
e) Acquire pipeline right-of-way
f) Acquire oil & gas leases
g) Help cure title defects
h) Locate heirs – detective work
i) Perform due diligence
2) DEFINING THE LANDMAN
After an oil company decides to drill a well or purchase a well or wells from another company, it is necessary for the land department to determine whether the desired action is possible. A landman is not an attorney, but rather is to report what is “of record” in the county records. This is accomplished by conducting a thorough title search of the records in the office of the County Clerk , Court Clerk, and County Tax Assessor. Sometimes it is also useful to utilize the records of an “abstract plant” or title company, if available. The landman will begin with “sovereignty of the soil”, i.e. the time from which the land was conveyed from the U.S.A. or State to an individual landowner. This conveyance is almost always evidenced by an instrument called a “Patent”. From this point, the landman will carefully follow all the instruments filed of record affecting the real property under examination. When all the instruments have been read and noted, the landman will compile a report of all the owners of various rights associated with the land, i.e. surface owner, mineral owner, the owner of any rights-of-way, etc. From this report, oil & gas leases will can then be acquired, granting the right to explore to the exploration company.
3) CONCEPTS OF LAND OWNERSHIP
a) Tenancy in Common
b) Joint Tenancy, with full right of survivorship
c) Tenancy by the Entireties
d) Life Estate, with remainder interest
e) Homestead
f) Separate Property
4) OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS LAND LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS
a) Lot and block – Subdivision
b) Rectangular Survey System (Jeffersonian) Section, Township, and
Range
c) Government lots
d) Riparian rights
e) Surveys and Blocks, with metes and bounds
5) INSTRUMENTS AFFECTING REAL PROPERTY
a) Deeds of varying effect
b) Wills
c) Trusts
d) Intestate succession (descent and distribution)
e) Liens
f) Foreclosure resulting in Tax Sale (Treasurer's Deed)
g) Foreclosure of mortgage (special warranty)
h) Orders or decrees by a court
i) Adverse Possession
j) Eminent Domain
k) Recording laws
6) CHAINING TITLE
a) Working with and understanding the chain of title
b) The Duhig Rule- something to always be mindful of
c) Methods of chaining title
7) PROBATE AND HEIRSHIP ISSUES
a) Locating and understanding probate procedures
b) Locating heirs (ways to find “missing” people)
c) Gaining a knowledge of probate law
d) Familiarization with State laws of Descent and Distribution
e) Finding your way around the Court Clerk's office
8) PREPARING TITLE REPORTS
a) Do's and don'ts for preparing reports
b) Understanding how reports are used for tracking activity
c) Creating weekly progress reports
d) Learning the value of “source documents”
9) CURRENT ADDRESSES/FINDING HEIRS
a) Learning how to find current addresses
Using the Internet and other means
b) Finding Heirs Title curative documents
Why they are not always in the records
10) INTRODUCTION WELL SPACING
a) Formations (strata) and assigned acreage per well
b) How spacing affects revenue
11) WELL OWNERSHIP RESEARCH
a) Finding the “base lease”
b) Tracking Assignments
c) How ownership can vary before payout and after payout
d) Leasehold vs. wellbore rights
12) WORKING INTEREST VS. NET REVENUE
a) Workshop on how to determine this interest
b) How well spacing affects this interest
13) LEASEHOLD REPORTS
a) Understanding the data and preparing the report
b) Familiarization with well symbols
c) Due diligence reports
14) UNDERSTANDING OIL AND GAS LEASES
a) A look at what's in an oil & gas lease
b) Preparing a lease
c) Necessary support documents
d) A look at the origin of different types of leases
e) Acquiring State and Federal Leases
15) YOUR TRIP TO THE COURTHOUSE
a) What to take with you
b) Appearance and demeanor
c) Learning your way around the courthouse
d) Recognizing the value of an Abstract Company
e) Examining the index books
f) Grantor/Grantee indexes
g) Reception Records
h) The value of establishing relationships with County personnel
16) REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS
a) Drilling permits
b) Well completion reports
c) Spacing hearings
d) Force Pooling hearings
e) Proration units
17) BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE COURTHOUSE
a) Reviewing what you have
b) Determining what's missing
18) AAPL CODE OF ETHICS
19) AAPL STANDARD OF PRACTICES
