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Well, like a lot of americans, you are not a small government guy, you just think you are.

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-edit- not really trying to call out the OP here, I just like the statement in general. lots of small government talk but not a lot of small government follow through amongst so-called conservatives these days.

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Landowners are compelled by law, individually or via their agents/leasers, to deal with the state or federal governments regarding benefits from minerals. Volumes of rules and regulation.

Indeed, the content of the lease agreement is the best place to ensure compliance with the landowners demands...but some of the myriad of rules and regs should be an asset to the landowner, to compel compliance.

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On a slightly related note, we have an old piece of farm equipment (sandfighter for you Panhandle/South Plains guys) made out of old oil field pipe. Dad probably made it 60 years ago from scrap he got in Dawson County. We tried to haul it to a scrap yard, and the manager came running out to the yard to stop us from dumping it. Apparently it was radioactive. Our guess is that it picked up radiation from well logging tools.

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It is probably more from N.O.R.M. (naturally occuring radioactive material) than logging tools. Stuff below the ground has some level of radioactivity. I would never reporpuse oil field tanks/pipes for grills.

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Quote:Well, like a lot of americans, you are not a small government guy, you just think you are.

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-edit- not really trying to call out the OP here, I just like the statement in general. lots of small government talk but not a lot of small government follow through amongst so-called conservatives these days.

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There are two things that I find are amusing in the way a couple people called out the OP.

First, the concept that suggesting a role for government in this issue, automatically disqualifies you as a small government believer. That's just totally false.

Second, the idea that the "small government" way of dealing with this issue would be to minimize government regulations and put the issue into the courts. Uh, the judicial system is still a branch of government. It depends 100% on laws created by the other branches. Either way you approach it, you're ultimately depending on regulations/laws/rules that cover it.

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Well, like a lot of americans, you are not a small government guy, you just think you are.

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-edit- not really trying to call out the OP here, I just like the statement in general. lots of small government talk but not a lot of small government follow through amongst so-called conservatives these days.

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Landowners are compelled by law, individually or via their agents/leasers, to deal with the state or federal governments regarding benefits from minerals. Volumes of rules and regulation.

Indeed, the content of the lease agreement is the best place to ensure compliance with the landowners demands...but some of the myriad of rules and regs should be an asset to the landowner, to compel compliance.

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Look i am not piling on the op either, its just that regulations are so incredibly pervasive tjat people tend to think in those terms.

All these other regs are in the way too.

This country was founded on common sense, business and ethics, and to have other citizens and solid judges resolve disputes as they arose. And that was brilliant.

But the regulatory overtake has conpletely overrun that.

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Some of my angst comes from some property that I own. It had some old equipment on it from production that was on the property in the 1940's and 50's. I had it hauled off by a guy that who then sold it for scrap. While I was doing it, I had several people tell me that I should not touch it unless I had permission from the owner of the equipment. The obvious problem is that there was no traceability back to the ownership. That equipment sat out there for 60+ years without anybody touching it. This is a very rural area and a farming community. Most people see oil field equipment and think it will blow up if you try to move it to haul it off. I just do not feel that looking at abandonded equipment littering up some otherwise pristine country-side should be acceptable for those of us that truly love Texas and find beauty in the rural areas that are the backbone of our great state.

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I know someone who would be happy to go pick up any old equipment that he could sell for scrap. As far as I know, that's the only work he's ever done and he's in his mid 60s.

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This country was founded on common sense, business and ethics, and to have other citizens and solid judges resolve disputes as they arose. And that was brilliant.

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This post cannot be given enough blue stars! If only we could return to that golden era! It has changed (for the worse) in my lifetime.

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C
Oh, and I am a ***** because I think that the State of Texas should do what they can to ensure that companies today operate in a responsible manner and don't leave their junk behind. Man, GTFO. You really have no clue what you are talking about. I'd be happy to talk about my positive experiences with oil companies and oil service providers. I have worked for several over the past 25 years. As a land owner, I've had pipelines installed and pipeline removed without any issues whatsoever. I had a well drilled on my place in 2014 and the oil company said that I was more cooperative than any land owner they've worked with in recent history. It doesn't make you or me a government dependent liberal to expect that companies and the property owners are good stewards of the land. I'm as much of a small government guy as anybody.

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Well, like a lot of americans, you are not a small government guy, you just think you are. Your basic premise proves it. I commend you for trying to be one, but suggest you consider that.

Private mineral ownership is the most unique and incredible thing left in america. It has made literally millions and millions of millionaires. Nowhere else in the world is that kind of economic benefit ever allowed to rest in the
hands of ordinary citizens.

The corrolary is the mineral owner enforces those things. There are lots of ways to do it. The final,piece of the puzzle is a good judicial branch to resolve any differences and enforce your terms. We have been destroying that part though, which is a mistake. But regulatory intervention is never the answer.

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I also believe in limited government...particularly at the federal level. And without a doubt, the first step in the OP's problem is deal with the operator directly. That said, I'm continually amazed at the equivocation of all forms of government. Federal government =/= state government =/= municipal government.

From my perspective (and as someone that is in the E&P business), the state government seems like a reasonable platform to address an issue that has, over many decades, proven to need such attention.

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I just wish we could have more abandoned well stuff out in the bay's

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That's cool if its visible or lower unit proof

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I can't remember the number of years, but I believe in Texas there's a time period after lease expiration where all equipment becomes the property of the surface owner. That doesn't remove the liability of the Operator to P&A the well, but all downhole and surface equipment at a point becomes property of surface owner.

A lot of newer oil & gas leases have a provision that all equipment becomes property of Lessor within 180 days of lease expiration if Operator doesn't remove it.

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This is what my experience has shown. From a natural gas perspective, once the well is shut in or stops flow, the operator has a set timeframe, this will be specified in the easement, to remove their equipment. It revert to the landowner after that timeframe.

Old oil equipment? You mean Texas Yard Art?