Case Studies

How the work looks when it is finished.

Client names, tracts and figures are withheld. The matters below are illustrative composites that describe the shape of the problem and the method used to resolve it.

West Texas, USA

Clearing 62 Years of Broken Heirship Title

Situation

An operator could not spud a permitted well because a one-eighth mineral interest traced back to an intestate estate with no probate on record.

Approach

Reconstructed the family tree from county, church and census records, located nine heirs across four states, and prepared affidavits of heirship with corrective conveyances.

Outcome

Title cleared and ratifications executed; the operator moved to drilling on the original schedule. Illustrative example.

West Africa

Cross-Border Quarry Lease for a Foreign Operator

Situation

An overseas aggregate producer wanted a long-term quarry position but had no standing with the ministry or the host community.

Approach

Verified the concession record, negotiated the lease and community benefit terms in person, and coordinated local counsel through permitting.

Outcome

A 25-year lease executed with a written community agreement and a permit file that survived regulatory review. Illustrative example.

Appalachian Basin, USA

Landowner Royalty Renegotiation

Situation

A family holding 900 mineral acres had been offered a lease at below-market bonus with post-production cost deductions buried in the addendum.

Approach

Ran offset lease comparables, rewrote the addendum around a cost-free royalty, and reopened negotiation with two competing operators.

Outcome

Bonus and royalty materially improved and deductions removed from the executed lease. Illustrative example.

Mid-Continent, USA

Royalty Divestiture for an Estate

Situation

Executors needed to liquidate a scattered royalty portfolio across three states within a probate deadline.

Approach

Assembled a clean data room, verified interests against division orders, and solicited a limited competitive buyer set.

Outcome

The portfolio closed as a single transaction inside the estate's timeline. Illustrative example.

Mineral extraction site with drilling rig and quarry benches at dawn