Royalty owneRs action RepoRtThe Voice of the National Association of Royalty Owners

FEBRUARY 2016

rom the Food and Water Watch web site ... “Ban Fracking Every-where–

Fracking for oil and gas isn’t safe. To protect our water, our air, our health and our climate we must ban fracking everywhere.” Here is how you start ... “Ban Fracking–Pass a resolution to ban fracking in your town or county. Resources: Sample resolu-tion language; Petition to Ban Fracking; Report: The Urgent Case to Ban Fracking.” How about the “Leave It in the Ground” folks (LINGO)? Oh, you say you haven’t heard of them, well here is what they think of your mineral property development . . .” If you want to solve a problem, you should go to its root. With climate change, the root of the problem is the burning of fossil fuels.”And “Leave fossil fuels in the ground and learn to live without them is a simple principle that can guide us out of the current maze where we keep making the climate crisis worse and worse.” Well alright Jerry, but I have never heard of these groups. Have you ever heard of the Sierra Club? Here is a quote from them ... “Block the most dangerous oil projects and revoke the oil industry’s license to operate above the law and interfere with our transition to a clean energy future.”And “Dirty, dangerous, and run amok–natural gas drillers exploit government loopholes, ignore decades–old environmental protections, and disregard the health of

entire communities. ‘Fracking,’ a violent process that dislodg-es gas deposits from shale rock forma-tions, is known to contaminate drink-ing water, pollute the air, and cause earthquakes.” This is just a little from these groups, there is a bunch more from numerous groups and the press likes to give them coverage. Cynthia, here in the NARO office, recently had a warning posted to her personal Facebook that Halo oranges were

contaminated because they had been irrigated with oil field waste water. Guess what? That practice has been going on in California’s Kern County for decades. My bet is if the plants were “up taking” dangerous pollutants we would all have been exposed by now and most likely would have mutated into beings with comic book like super powers. Wait! Don’t jump! I don’t think you can fly just yet. Part of the discussion on Cynthia’s Facebook had her friends so worried that they had poisoned their children they were about to throw out all the oranges they had just bought. Cynthia did her best to set them straight. Would you do the same? That is why I wrote this and will be the basic topic of my convention presentation this year at NARO state and national events. Your NARO Board of Directors and I encourage each of you to go to: http://www.americasenergyopportunity.com/ and sign the petition to get energy as a priority issue in this See Scary on page 10

Boo!Jerry Simmons, NARO Executive Director

FJerry Simmons

And you guys thought I was making stuff up to scare you ...

2 I royalty ownerS actIon report February 2016

Jackie RootPresident

Drilling and leasing may be slow in Pennsylvania but NARO PA is working overtime! The convention is just around the corner. There will be great opportunities to learn about current issues facing Pennsylvania mineral owners and new developments in the oil and gas industry, so register now to make this year’s event a success! There are many indicators pointing to movement on HB 1391 making this a good time for a membership check up. When appropriate, we will use email to send information on Harrisburg activities in a timely manner.

Do we have your email address? Are you receiving ‘News You Can Use’ via email? The fact is, the PA Chapter must use email for frequent communication to keep costs under control. If you want to get those weekly blasts or calls to action, please share your email address. If you just don’t have reliable email access and want to stay informed call me (570) 537-3829, we will attempt a phone notification option. Bottom line, NARO PA is still a movin’ and a shakin’ in this downturn. On Feb. 4, I hosted our first Cyber Town Hall webinar with over 50 attendees–the feedback was positive so watch for the next opportunity. We are working hard to find the right avenue to keep members informed and active.

Candice Brewer, CMMPresident

James ElderVice-President

Ryan Rupert, CMM treasurer

Janice Bennett Good, CMMcorP. secretary

David Sikes, CMMimm. Past President

Bob Hartnaro-aPPalachia Pres.

Terrel Shieldsnaro-arkansas Pres.

Ed Hazard, CMMnaro-california Pres.

Michelle Smithnaro-colorado Pres.

Malissa Blackburnnaro-louisiana Pres.

Jim Leonard, CMMnaro-new york Pres.

Tony Watterud, CMMnaro-north dakota Pres.

Dick McCallanaro-oklahoma Pres.

Jackie Root, CMM naro-PennsylVania Pres.

Craig Petersonnaro-rockies Pres.

Jack Fleet, CMMnaro-texas Pres.

at-large

Kellee Johnson, CMMJerry Moyer, CMM

Gary Preszler, CMMJim Souto, CMM

Paul Vallhonrat, CMMEmily Wagner

Linn Willers, CMM

NARO Board Members and Officers

To Contact NARO: Jerry R. Simmons executiVe director

(918) 794-1660 or (800) 558-0557(918) 794-1662 (Fax) naro@naro-us.org

15 W. 6th Street, Suite 2626

Tulsa, OK 74119

The National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) does not explicitly or implicitly endorse third parties in exchange for advertising. Advertising in our monthly newsletter (ROAR) does not influence editorial content, products or services in any way.

all current and back issues are aVailable at: www.naro-us.org

Cynthia SimondsNational Development Director

Membership MoMentuM

In January, NARO’s National Board had a very productive meeting in Dallas at the DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, where the 2016 National Convention will be hosted. (What a beautiful facility! You will love it.) As always, the mission of this January meeting is to set some long range goals for the organization. Our entire board stepped up; each person volunteered for a new committee to focus on what we feel will be our biggest opportunities this year. I am excited to tell you the committees have quickly started implementing their new ideas.

We have added internet based meetings to our calendar of events! Right now the meetings will be a Town Hall style. The Cyber Town Halls will be free for NARO Members to attend and only $10 for non-members. Please encourage your friends and family who have not joined NARO to try out one of these meetings. When they join within 30 days of the meeting, we will apply their $10 registration fee to their membership! If you are an oil/gas professional with a large client base of mineral owners, do them a favor and pass on our meeting information. They will thank you later! I hope to have confirmed dates for meetings specifically for non-resident mineral owners very soon. There are unique challenges when you own minerals in one state and live in another state, so we will have meetings just for you. If webinar meetings are new to you, I think you will be surprised how easy they are to participate in. You will see and hear the presenter and their slides. No one will be able to see or hear you, so attend in your pajamas if you’d like! Questions can be sent in advance of any meeting to: CSimonds@naro-us.org or type in a “chat box” during the Q&A time. We are excited to have these webinars which offer us the ability to meet with you more often to bring you education, updates and answers. We want to address the biggest issues facing mineral owners in your area–even if you are far far away from your area.

February 2016 royalty ownerS actIon report I 3

Total Number of People Registering: ____@ $ 200.00 Member Early Bird ____@ $ 350.00 Non Member Early Bird Registration After March 1, 2016 increases $50.

Amount due:

I (We) will attend the roundtable discussion/pizza dinner March 30th 7pm

Register online at www.naro-us.org/events or mail payment & this completed form to: NARO Attn: PA Registration 15 W 6th Street—Suite 2626 Tulsa, Ok 74119

Hotel arrangements must be made directly with the hotel 814-238-3001. Hotel information online can be found at www.ramadasc.com Ask for the Group Room Rate of $72.00 using the code “CG29PA” Group rate is not available via internet booking. Cut–off Date for the NARO PA Room rate is February 29, 2016 Refund, less $50 processing fee until March 15, 2016 No refunds beginning March 16, 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016 CMM Review 8:30 am-5:30 pm Royalty Owner Roundtable Discussion 7pm Thursday, March 31, 2016 Annual Board Meeting 8-11 am CMM Test. 9-10:30am Members’ Meeting 11 am-Noon Group Lunch Noon First Session 1 pm Cocktail Hour 5-6 pm, Networking Reception 6-8 pm Friday, April 1, 2016 First Session 8 am Lunch Noon-1 pm Closing Remarks 4:45 pm

NARO Pennsylvania 2016 Convention March 30–April 1 Ramada Conference Center

1450 S. Atherton St. State College

Method Of Payment Check Enclosed Visa/MastercardAmex Discover Credit Card # Expiration:

Registration Questions? Contact Dee Copeland at 1-800-558-0557 or DCopeland@naro-us.org

Name as you’d like it on your badge: Company: Address: City: State: Zip: Email: Phone:

To Contact NARO: Jerry R. Simmons executiVe director

(918) 794-1660 or (800) 558-0557(918) 794-1662 (Fax) naro@naro-us.org

15 W. 6th Street, Suite 2626

Tulsa, OK 74119

4 I royalty ownerS actIon report February 2016

I’m writing this on Fat Tuesday 2016 and Mardi Gras ends tonight. Carni-val was great fun this year! Now, it’s back to work. Planning a convention takes a lot of volunteers and time. Your board of directors is busy getting speakers and sponsors, planning meals and

socials, and assuring you have everything you need when you arrive in Lafayette for NARO Louisiana’s convention on April 25-26. Remember to register and make a room reservation. Come see what we have planned. Comstock has acquired additional Haynesville Shale acreage and continues their drilling commitment to North Louisiana. Comstock recently announced the completion of the #1 Alt Holmes 29-32 in Belle Bower Field with an IP of 27.9 Mmcfd. This area of DeSoto Parish never disappoints. And in Lincoln Parish, WRM and MRD both reported nice completions, the Ates, et al 18-7 #1 Alt (IP 16.93 Mmcfd) and Wright 13-24-15 #1 Alt (IP 32 Mmcfd), respectively.

Malissa BlackburnPresident

South Louisiana saw new permits in Saint Mary, Plaquemines, Jeff Davis and Iberville. In north Louisiana, Chesapeake, QEP and Vine had new permits in DeSoto and Red River. We are continuing to see layoffs in the energy industry that are affecting our members. It might be your spouse losing a job, your college graduate unable to find work, your restaurant losing oilfield patronage or your service business having to cut back. Although no one can tell when commodity prices will again be on the rise, we know that this is a strong, committed industry that has experienced these swings for over 100 years in Louisiana. Royalty owners need this industry to make a comeback. While LNG shipments from Louisiana have been delayed, crude oil exports have begun from various ports in Texas to several European countries. The United States has plenty more crude so let’s eliminate this supply overage and help our price underage! Be sure to sign up for convention in Lafayette and ‘Laissez les bon temps rouler!’

Jack Fleet President

The oil and gas industry in Texas is regulated by the Railroad Commission. There are three commissioners that balance this power. Elected commis-

sioners are seated for a six-year term with one commissioner seeking election every two years, unless an appointment is made mid-term by the governor, then the appointee fills the remain-ing term for the commissioner that left office. The current chairman/commissioner David Porter is not seeking re-election and we have a very heated and full ballot of candidates running for this seat. There are twelve candidates in all. Come March, the field will narrow and the race for the next commissioner will be even more heated. In my opinion, being a railroad commissioner is one of the most important positions in the state of Texas, regulating the oil and gas industry, railroads, pipelines, service organizations, mining and even alternative fuels. NARO Texas is a 501c (6) organization and will not support

Texas Railroad Commissioner

a political candidate; however, I ask that if you have the right to vote in Texas, get to know these candidates and become knowledgeable about their background. Look at the abilities of the candidates and see who would do the best job at balancing regulation for exploration and production while protecting the rights of mineral and royalty owners. The candidates are traveling the state giving presentations and taking questions from the audience. Each individual candi-date is also having their own town hall meetings. I encourage you to meet them, ask questions important to you. A couple of weeks ago, I attended one of these meetings in Austin, Texas. I asked the candidates, “How will you make the RRC easier for the mineral/royalty owner to access?” Most replied with an easier online website to find information and others gave out their cell phone. Plan now to attend our convention this year in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Worthington Hotel June 29-July 1, 2016. This is a great location and will be both educational and fun.

If you receive the ROAR via U.S. Postal Service, and would like to help us save some money, call to switch your ROAR to the email version.

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A W AY T O H E L P N A R O

February 2016 royalty ownerS actIon report I 5

6 I royalty ownerS actIon report February 2016

J. Mark Gresham, CMM, CDOA Carol Kughn Gresham

GRESHAM ROYALTIESPURCHASERS OF OIL & GAS ROYALTIES SINCE 1977

P.O. Box 662Wharton, Texas 77488

(979) 532-1485 Office (979) 282-9802 Home

Fax: (979) 282-9880

A man only learns in two ways, one by

reading, and the other by association with

smarter people.

You may recall that last month I encour-aged you to continue your education regarding the ownership of your mineral rights. Well, a great opportunity to do just

that is coming your way this April. OK NARO will be holding its annual convention April 27-29 at the newly remodeled Southern Hills Marriott in Tulsa, Okla. The theme for this year’s convention is “Stew-arding National Treasure.” The convention will be a blend of not only educational topics deliv-ered by some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry, but also a wonderful opportunity to fellowship with mineral owners not only from Oklahoma but from across the nation. Convention Chairperson, David Sikes, and his committee along with the help of the national office, in particular Cynthia Simonds, have planned a great convention. The convention will open Wednesday, April 27, with a social event, “A Day at the Ballpark.” Attendees will have premier seating at a Tulsa Driller baseball game and be served a catered lunch. Thursday’s schedule will be highlighted by luncheon keynote speaker, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett. Thursday morning

Convention Time!

sessions begin with a national update from Jerry Simmons, NARO Executive Director, followed by an Oklahoma Legislative update from Terry Stowers. In the afternoon, concurrent sessions will address the needs of both experienced and less experienced mineral owners and managers. The day will conclude with an exhibitor’s reception after the last session. Friday will be highlighted by Oklahoma Corporation

Commissioner, Dana Murphy, our keynote luncheon speaker. There will also be concurrent sessions that morning allowing convention attendees to choose between nine different topics. Finally, that afternoon, an expert panel will be center stage to address questions posed by attendees. It’s a great opportunity for you to get practical level answers from professionals in the oil and gas business. The 2016 Oklahoma NARO Convention will be a memorable, educational and social event for

all who attend. I will close this month with a quote from Will Rogers that is appropriate to the upcoming convention, “A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.” I look forward to seeing you in Tulsa.

Dick McCallaPresident

A Proud NARO National Sponsor

w w w. g u a r d i a n m m . c o m

Petroleum Engineering ServicesFrancis W. (Frank) King, Licensed Professional Engineer

*Regulatory and Court Testimony *Appraisal of Oil & Gas Interests*Bank Loan Reports

Tel: (405) 348-2562, Fax: 866-818-4362Email: fwking@hotmail.com

February 2016 royalty ownerS actIon report I 7

Register Today! OK NARO 2016 Convention

April 27-29 Tulsa, Ok

The Non-Member Registration includes a one year membership!

Attire is business casual to chic comfortable. Secure registration is also available online

www.naro-us.org/events

For questions about the event or your registration please call

the NARO National Headquarters 800-558-0557

Or contact Dee Copeland DCopeland@naro-us.org

Hotel reservations should be made with the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills

918-493-7000.

Check in is 4p, Check out is 11am. The group room rate is $89.00.

The cut-off date for the special rate is Tuesday, April 12, 2016 .

Rooms not reserved by the cut-off date will be released to general sale.

Additional hotel information can be found at www.Marriott.com

Refunds for event registration

will be subject to a $75 processing fee. No registration refunds after

April 12, 2016.

Event times are tentative and subject to change. Call the NARO office to confirm agenda times.

Event Structure Wednesday April 27, 2016

CMM Review Course 9:00 am -5:00 pm A Day at the Ballpark 10:20am-2:45pm

Welcome Reception 5:30-6:30 pm Dinner at Leisure

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Continental Breakfast 8:00 am Sessions Begin 9:00 am Lunch 12:00-1:30 pm

Break 3:30 pm Last session over at 5:30 pm

Reception 5:30-6:30 pm Dinner at Leisure

Friday, April 29, 2016

CMM Exams 7:30 am– 8:45 am Continental Breakfast 8:00 am

Sessions Begin 9:00 am Lunch 12:00-1:30 pm

Last session over at 3:30 pm

Session Topics will Include: Operator Bankruptcy Lease Negotiation from a Landsman's Perspective Searching Court Records in Your PJs OK Pooling Explained How to be Politically Effective And More!!

8 I royalty ownerS actIon report February 2016

Michelle Smith President

Written byNeil Ray

On Jan. 25, the COGCC completed its final rulemaking hearing addressing oil and gas development in Urban Mitiga-tion Areas (UMA’s). No party is happy. Alongside the Homebuilders Associa-tion, the agriculture advocacy groups,

the industry trade groups, and local governments, NARO Colorado argued on the final day that the rules should recognize the legal and contractual importance of Surface Use Agree-ments (SUA) negotiated between the surface owner and the producer. The commission has encouraged negotiated SUAs in the past, but with this rulemaking the commission defers to the local planning authority. It is important that our members understand this. It is the most significant factor in the new rule that would lead to stranding minerals from being developed. Overall, the rules facilitate collaboration with local planning authorities. If at the end of what could be as many as 270 days of negotiation with local government there is no agreement, the Director of the COGCC will issue a permit to drill. This has not kept anti-oil and gas advocates from pursuing

The good news is that the rig count cannot go lower. The bad news? Presently, no rigs are running in Arkansas. The Fayetteville, Arkoma, and south Arkansas Smackover regions are at a standstill. And the Brown Dense has proven to be a dismal failure even at $100/bbl. This is the worst gas prices since the 1970s. And drilling costs were

one-third less. Current day rates for land rigs stand at about $14,000 per day on average vs. $4,500 back in the early 1980s. And the trade magazines say that drilling contractors can’t cut much more. There remains some activity to purchase mineral rights and the price is surprisingly high. The average price for mineral rights where drilling has commenced but development wells are relatively low in number, have been from $1,000 to $2,400 per acre. Clearly someone is anticipating an improvement in price in the future. An exploration company out of Oklahoma City told me that they intend to spud a well soon in south Arkansas in search of oil. As a conventional test, they believe they can make a profit at $30 or more per barrel. Nationally, the rig continues to fall and production declines are beginning. If the decline curves are right, then production will drop at a faster rate. The nation is a long way from running

initiatives that would alter the state constitution in ways that would inhibit or even prohibit oil and gas development. As I write this, there are 11 such initiatives being vetted in front of the state title board for November’s ballot. I would like to thank Cindy Bargell, Esq., for her service to the NARO Colorado board. Cindy provided language with her testimony at the final hearing that would have provided regulatory protection for Surface Use Agreements. And, in fact that language was the only deliberative issue discussed by the Commissioners. Unfortunatately, it was not adopted. Cindy was recently elected to her local school board. For that reason she has decided not to stand for election to our board but she is still a member of our legislative committee. Adams County Commissioners voted to suspend, or enact a moratorium on issuing special use permits related to drilling operations for six weeks ending in April while they write new ordinances. The commission took this action after conducting a public hearing in January that lasted until 2:00 am. Member Cristy Koeneke gave masterful testimony to a resounding applause at that hearing.

out of oil, but the damage to the domestic oil industry portends a day when we cannot quickly build oil reserves and thus will be at the mercy of OPEC and other foreign producers once again. History has an annoying way of repeating itself. A shout out to Wilma Stewart, our secretary-treasurer, for getting out our 990 IRS forms. Wilma has been a champion for us since the very beginning of this chapter.

WANT TO PURCHASE MINERALS.And other oil/gas interests.

Send details to:P.O. Box 13557 • Denver, CO 80201

Terrel ShieldsPresident

Linwood Royalties, L.L.C.David P. Vinson, Manager

(Former NARO-Texas President)

Reliable purchaser of royalty interests35 yrs experience in complex mineral estates

Development of non-producing mineral interest

P.O. Box 7563 (903) 752-0974 Tyler, TX 75711 linwoodroyalties@gmail.com

Colorado’s Recent Rule Making Upends Surface Use Agreements

February 2016 royalty ownerS actIon report I 9

Blennerhasset Hotel Winter Board MeetingThe Appalachian NARO chapter held a a very successful and productive winter

board meeting in Parkersburg, W. Va., Jan. 30, 2016, at the historic Blennerhassett Hotel. Among actions taken were the induction of three new directors and preliminary planning for our exciting Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2016, annual conference at the Greenbrier Hotel and Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. New Directors included Rebecca Clutter to fill a vacant director’s position in the Ohio section, Robert Mead from West Virginia to fill a vacant at-large director’s position, and Coleman Alderson to fill a vacant director’s position in North Carolina. I am very pleased that these talented persons have joined our chapter and bring strong backgrounds in other organizations and as royalty/mineral owners to NARO Appalachia. Please contact me or our NARO Tulsa office for email addresses and telephone numbers of these individuals if you would like to extend them a warm welcome.

Barnesville, Ohio Members’ “Fuel Yourself with Knowledge” Workshop Borrowing on a theme from other chapters, by the time you receive this ROAR we will have hosted a Saturday one-day workshop in Barnesville, Ohio, Belmont County, on Feb. 27, 2016, titled “Fuel Yourself With Knowledge.” This workshop followed on the heels of a similar workshop in Sardis, Ohio, on Jan. 29, 2016, that resulted in ten new NARO members. Topics of interest to oil and gas royalty owners in Barnesville will have included presentations on proposed state and federal legislation, ad valorem taxes, royalty payment stub calculations, status of a proposed “cracker plant” in eastern Ohio, and “Tax Information for the Mineral Owner.”

Make Your Plans NowGreenbrier Hotel Annual Convention, Oct. 30- Nov. 1

Bob HartPresident

Premium Offers on Royalties &Producing Minerals

918-392-4151www.hissopenergy.com

Our thorough, technical evaluation considers futuredrilling potential to ensure that we place the

highest value on your interest!

10 I royalty ownerS actIon report February 2016

Earl Pregler & AssociatesBox 1722, Tulsa, OK 74101-1722

Phone: (918) 583-2117 Fax: (918) 583-1344We purchase producing mineral interests

and estates nationwide

year’s election discussion. You need to become the expert on the development of your mineral estate and not be afraid or shy to stand up and challenge some of this nonsense. In my humble opinion (much like federal tax and policy issues) if you guys do not speak up and make yourselves heard, no one else will do it for you and the battle and war over development of YOUR resource will be lost.

Ed HazardPresident

C A L I F O R N I A

Sacramento Here We Come!NARO-California is pleased to announce that we will be holding our first state chapter convention at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel

on May 19-20, 2016. Since its inception in late 2013, the goal of NARO-California has been to identify, organize, educate and empower the estimated 600,000 mineral/royalty owners of California. In line with this stated goal, this year’s convention theme, The Power of You, is meant to emphasize the potential individual and collective power of mineral owners. In recent years in California, attacks against the well-estab-lished property rights of mineral owners have intensified. It is now more important than ever that mineral owners educate themselves and become active in protecting their valuable property rights. Currently, we are in the process of developing the agenda for this convention and lining up speakers. It is anticipated that the schedule for May 19 will focus on the political and regulatory challenges currently facing mineral owners and the fossil fuel industry. We will have experts update us on the status of various pieces of legislation and regulations being proposed on local, state and national levels. We will also discuss what you can do individually and collectively to protect your assets. On May 20, we will offer a series of educational sessions relating to the management of oil and gas mineral owner assets. Various professionals will address leasing issues, title issues, legal/estate planning issues, accounting/tax issues, etc. We are also offering an all-day CMM review course on Wed., May 18, and CMM exams on the morning of May 19. This convention has already received tremendous support from the oil and gas industry. We would like to thank the following organizations and companies for their sponsorship: Western States Petroleum Association, Californians for Energy Independence, California Independent Petroleum Association, Seneca Resources and Freeport-McMoRan. We continue seek out additional sponsors. This convention will fill up fast. We urge you to register early online at: www.naro-us.org/events or (800) 558-0557. Please come join us in Sacramento and realize The Power of You!

Scary From cover

February 2016 royalty ownerS actIon report I 11

Buying Minerals–Non-producing, large or small.Please provide legal description and revenue

information if applicable. Prompt reply to any size offer.JAMES PETROLEUM TRUST

P.O. Box 4648 • Tulsa, OK 74159or call (918) 582-6297

WE PURCHASE OKLAHOMAMINERAL INTERESTS AND ESTATES,

PRODUCING AND NON-PRODUCINGCall or write: W. H. Stromberg, Jr., 10 W. Main., Ste.506,Ardmore, OK 73401 • (580) 223-0353 or (800) 687-5882

Tony WatterudPresident

Written byGary Preszler

State Budget ReductionsBecause of reduced tax collections, North Dakota Gov. Dalrymple ordered across-the-board state budget cuts of 4.05 percent, despite also proposing to tap into the Budget Stabilization (rainy day) Fund to the tune of nearly one-half billion dollars. The rainy day fund will be left with a balance of only $75 million. The action was taken after new revenue

forecasts showed a $1 billion shortfall attributed to low oil and farm commodity prices. The new revenue forecast predicts that oil production will fall from the current 1.18 million barrels a day to 900,000 barrels by the end of this year.

Williston Basin Petroleum ConferenceThe 2016 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference will be held at the Bismarck Civic Center, May 24-26, 2016. The North Dakota Petroleum Council, ND Department of Mineral Resources, and the Saskatchewan provincial government will host the conference. The conference brings together everyone having an interest in the oil and gas business, including CEOs and technicians for companies active in the Williston Basin. Besides many technical presentations, the event also features a Bakken Basics information session geared toward the general public. Registration information can be found at: https://www.wbpcnd.org/default.aspx In 2014, over 4,200 attended the event in Bismarck. The conference alternates every other year with Canada having hosted the event in 2015.

ND Chapter 2016 Annual ConventionThe 2016 North Dakota convention will be held June 23-24 in Dickinson. Presentation speakers are being finalized with the goal to provide an agenda both diverse and very informative for mineral owners. Several extra events are also being planned that you will not want to miss.

NARO Rockies is continuing our series of featuring leaders in our respective seven states. We have covered Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming in previous articles. This month, we feature Allan E. Smith of Utah. Allan Smith lives in Roosevelt, Utah, and has been a member of the

Utah Royalty Owners Association for nine years and president for four. He represents Utah on the NARO Rockies Board, along with Gordon Moon and Mike Giniovani.

Attending many NARO and Rockies conven-tions enabled Allan to be the primary advisor for his extended family’s 50,000 net mineral acres in northeastern Utah and 100,000 acres in western Colorado. These mineral interests came about because his grandfather had the foresight in the early 1900s to homestead and purchase for grazing sheep. Much more state and federal lands were used in the 100 plus

years of ranching. Allan downsized in 1988 selling the sheep and continued to run cattle until 2000 when he retired as an active sheep and cattle rancher. The majority of the Utah lands have been dedicated for wildlife habitat and the balance remains in grazing. He is proud of his time serving on the Utah Wildlife Board and having his ranch receive the National Cattlemens’ 6th Annual Environmental Stewardship Regional Award. In 2011, Newfield Exploration and Production (nominated by Allan) received the 2011 Earth Day Award given by the Utah Oil, Gas, and Mining Board for their cooperative efforts in dealing with Allan and other surface owners in the Uintah Basin. Crescent Point Energy U.S. Corp. received the 2015 Cer-tificate of Apprecitation in recognition for their Leland Bench Paleo/Archeological Project held on Allan’s private land. For the paleontology part of his nomination, a specimen of a 50-million-year-old fossil of the first known carnivore,“miacis” uintensis, was discovered by one of the heavy equipment operators prior to construction of a well site access road. Because this find is so important, CPE, Newfield, and Finley Resources have agreed to do paleontology studies in the area prior to any disturbance. Allan is pleased with the energy companies going beyond what is required on private property. These fossils will be donated to the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price, Utah. The Utah group plans to meet four times this year for train-ing and outreach. They will also participate in the NARO Rockies annual meeting Aug. 31- Sept. 1 in Vernal, Utah. The first outreach meeting was held in conjunction with the Utah Petroleum Association in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Jan. 12. Future meetings are scheduled in Roosevelt, Utah, on April 19, July 19, and Oct. 18. For further information, contact Allan at aesmith@ubtanet.com.

Craig PetersonPresident

www.naro-us.org

National Association of Royalty Owners15 W. 6th Street • Suite 2626Tulsa, OK 74119

Presorted First ClassMail

U.S. PostagePAID

Oklahoma City, OKPermit #1541

Stay InFormed through our SocIal medIa. get educated wIth our vIdeoS!

2016 NARO CONFERENCES

PennsylvaniaMarch 30-April 1 • State College

LouisianaApril 25-26 • Lafayette

OklahomaApril 27-29 • Tulsa

CaliforniaMay • Sacramento

North DakotaJune 23-24 • Dickinson

TexasJune 29-July 1 • Ft. Worth

ArkansasAugust • Searcy

Rockies(MT, ID, WY, NV, UT, AZ, NM)Aug. 31-Sept. 1• Vernal, Utah

National ConventionOctober 6-8 • Dallas

Appalachia (OH, WV, KY, NC)Oct. 30-Nov. 1 • White Sulphur Springs, WV

Mark your calendar