Sell Your Ellis County Mineral Rights
We buy oil and gas royalties and mineral rights in Kansas and throughout the United States.
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Ellis County, Kansas
A brief overview of oil and gas activity
Ellis County ranks #1 in oil production for Kansas. The vast majority of wells are oil wells and Ellis county has seen continuous development since 1928! Many of these older wells are no longer producing, but there are some very good, stable wells in Ellis County.
Most of these wells are stripper wells, meaning they produce less than 15 barrels of oil per day. By contrast, many horizontal wells in Texas and Oklahoma produce north of 500 barrels of oil per day.
Striper wells have their place in our energy mix. In fact, they make up 7.4% of US oil production. They also disproportionally contribute to methane emissions which hurt the environment. The current administration is attempting to curtail methane emissions, which will put financial stress on small operators and may make many stripper wells uneconomical. Once a well is uneconomical, it is plugged and mineral owners no longer receive royalty payments.
A Brief History of Oil & Gas Development
in Ellis County, Kansas
After the financial devastation of the stock market crash of 1929 and the Dust Bowl, Ellis county farmers and residents, who had been primarily dependant on farming, were facing an economic crisis. Many, if not most, farmers and residents may have been forced to give up their land and relocate had it not been for oil and gas development. Oil and gas development began in 1928 and continued for four decades until production declined in the 1970s. Today, you see fields of golden grain with occasional pumpjacks that are still extracting comparatively small amounts of oil. Still, these small amounts of oil provide much-appreciated income to Kansas farmers and royalty owners.
If you are interested in the history of Ellis County’s oil and gas development, check out Katherine Cobo’s Master’s Thesis, From Fields Of Golden Grain To Black Liquid Gold: The Economic Contribution Of The Oil Industry To Ellis County, Kansas, which goes into great detail.
Modern Oil & Gas Drilling
Ellis County ranks #1 in oil production for Kansas, but the development is quite small compared with other areas of the country with much better potential.
In 2021, there were only 28 drilling permits in Ellis County. The other top-10 oil-producing counties in Kansas have a similar number of permits. The typical well in Kansas produces less than 15 barrels of oil per day. By contrast, many counties in Texas have wells that produce more than 500 barrels of oil per day.
It’s really easy to see why Kansas sees very little oil and gas development these days. Kansas contains older oilfields, with many plugged wells that stopped producing as the reservoirs ran dry. Today’s oil and gas exploration companies are more interested in drilling in the shale basins where fracked horizontal wells generate vast amounts of oil and gas.
Ellis County Oil GIS Map
Once you locate your Ellis County mineral rights in KGS’s interactive map, you will see various symbols representing the status of both old and current oil wells.
As you can see from the sample map (taken from a random area in Ellis County), there were a lot of dry holes drilled to find oil! The majority of the once-producing oil wells have been plugged, but there are a few that are still producing.
Because these are older wells (sometimes, very old wells), they only produce a fraction of what they once produced. These wells will eventually be plugged.
If you are contemplating selling your minenral rights, it’s best to do it while there is still value (you’re still receiving regular checks).
How Do I locate My Kansas Mineral Rights?
Kansas recently updated its interactive map. It’s much more user-friendly, making it a breeze for mineral and royalty owners to find the information they need!
Knowing your legal description makes it easy to locate your oil and gas wells. Not sure where to find the legal description? It’s on your property deed and your oil and gas lease.
Kansas uses the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), so your legal description will consist of a section, range, and township.
Need more help? Contact us, and we will be happy to look it up for you!
Us KGS’s GIS map to:
- Locate wells
- View well info (depth, dates, fields, operator, etc.)
- View well status (active, plugged, water flood, dry holes, etc.)
- View production history
- And more
Ellis County Kansas Resources for Mineral Owners
The best way to maximize your mineral rights is to know what you own. Knowledge is power and these links may help you figure out what you own and be a better mineral manager.
Interactive Oil & Gas Map
The Kansas Geological Society maintains an interactive map where you can look up your mineral rights using the legal description on your deed (or lease). Need help? Call us, and we can look it up for you.
Ellis County Treasurer
Ellis Kansas mineral owners must pay annual Ad Valorem taxes to the Ellis county treasurer. You can find your property tax info using their online property tax system.
Ellis County Deed Records
The Ellis County Register of Deeds, Rebecca Herzog, is responsible for keeping public records related to “real property” such as land and mineral deeds. Need a copy of your deed? The Register of Deeds should be able to provide you with a copy.
How We Value Mineral Rights
There are many factors that play into the value of mineral rights. These include location, producing vs. non-producing properties, current oil and gas prices, well production figures, lease terms, and even the operator of the well or wells. We also look at the risks of buying and owning minerals that you are interested in selling.
Location
Minerals in the hottest shale plays are more valuable than those in older fields with conventional wells.
Producing vs. Non-Producing
Producing minerals are often worth more than non-producing minerals because they are generating revenue.
Oil & Gas Prices
When oil and gas prices drop, revenue drops, and sometimes operators are unable to continue operating the well.
Production
Highly productive wells (and off-set wells) can increase the value of your minerals.
Lease Terms
Favorable lease terms (such as a 25% royalty reservation) positively impact the value of the leased minerals.
Operator
A small number of operators are unethical, and their reputation automatically devalues your minerals.
Where We Buy Mineral Rights
We buy both producing and non-producing minerals in all oil and gas states. However, we are especially interested in Texas and Kansas mineral rights.
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We even buy minerals in more obscure states, such as Michigan and Illinois, which produce a very little oil and gas compared to other states.
Why Sell?
Why People Sell Their Mineral Rights
I am putting my affairs in order. I don’t want to burden my kids with the hassle of transferring ownership and managing small mineral rights. When my sister passed away, my niece and nephew had to hire an attorney to help them with the minerals. I don’t want my kids to go through that.
I inherited my mineral rights so they were sentimental, but I don’t really want to bother with managing them and filing extra tax returns. I decided to sell and use the money as a down payment on my house.
I had no idea how fast the oil production would decline. My checks are only 20% of what they were a few years ago. I should have sold my mineral rights when the wells were brand new and still generating huge royalties.
My oil wells have been producing for decades and the reserves are almost depleted. Once the wells are plugged, the value will be significantly lower. I’d rather cash out now.
I inherited mineral rights, but don’t want to be involved with fracking and fossil fuels. I would prefer to support renewable energy and do my part to reverse climate change.