2014 Annual Report

2014 proved to be a great year for clients of R. King & Co. We generated over $1,000,000 of royalty income from oil and gas leases we developed for our clients. One family saw production quadruple to 1,200 barrels of oil per day. In addition, five new client families have contracted us to develop and manage their family minerals.

With the collapse in oil prices, 2015 will be a challenging year. Lease activity has cooled. Operators are analyzing which leases to continue drilling, and which to let go. Most operators are reducing their drilling budgets and many are laying off employees. Nevertheless, the shale boom continues.

Despite the slump in prices, most of our clients are experiencing an increase in income. Even as the price of oil continues to fall, their production has tripled and quadrupled, causing a net positive cash flow in 2015.

Will OPEC members consolidate decision making and reduce production to stop the free-fall in oil prices? Will the malaise in the global economy continue to curtail demand for oil? Will the American shale boom continue to pressure oil prices downward? Will the current glut of oil move through the global marketplace in 2015 and allow the price of oil to return to $75 per barrel in 2016? These are the challenges we face in turning dormant minerals into income producing assets for our clients in 2015.

One thing is certain – Americans will find new ways to improve exploration efficiencies, decrease drilling costs and find new reserves of oil and gas. Are you a part of this unfolding story?

R. King & Co. News

R. King & Co. NewsR.King & Co. was created in 2007 as part of a vision to transform my family’s dormant minerals into income-producing assets. The last oil and gas leases our forbears executed was in 1976 and our total production in 2011 was ½ barrel of oil per day. Some of this income had been going into a State of Texas Unclaimed Account for 30-years.

We are part of a family that first acquired its minerals in 1883. 130-years and seven generations later, these minerals are now owned by forty family entities spread across six states – including eighteen individuals, five banks, fifteen trusts, an education foundation and a large corporation.

Energy companies had been trying to find us since 1979, but we didn’t know that. They were interested in leasing our minerals for oil and gas development, but could not determine our ownership or whom to contact. So they gave up. We were unleasable. Even worse, many of us did not know what are minerals rights or that we owned part of these minerals. As a result, our mineral assets had zero value.

Not only were our mineral assets unknown and undeveloped, our family had lost its ties to each other and were becoming strangers. With each succeeding generation we were about to be even bigger and more unmanageable. The wakeup call came when a persistent petroleum landman tracked one of us down, expressing interest in leasing some of our minerals for oil and gas exploration. We began talking to each other – about minerals we didn’t know we owned.

Our challenge was to consolidate decision-making into a plan all mineral owners could agree to 100%. Fortunately, we had a core group with a driving vision to turn our dormant minerals into income producing assets. It took two years to determine our mineral ownership – who owned what percentage. We began communicating with each other, building a vision, meeting and discussing the merits of various plans. Our first three plans were presented to all mineral owners and did not reach 100% consensus. Finally, our fourth plan took hold. And once we consolidated our decision-making – we were all handsomely rewarded.

Along our journey, R. King & Co. was faced with hundreds of decisions. We established two guiding lights along the way. For every decision, we required a “yes” to two questions: “Will this decision make more money for each individual mineral owner?” And, “Will it bring our family closer together?” If we could answer yes to both questions, then we went forward.

It took another year to market our minerals. As a result of all this effort, we successfully signed oil and gas leases with one of the world’s largest independent energy companies to explore our minerals. There were plenty of lawyers and accountants involved! We received a big bonus payment that came as a godsend to many of us. We are now eagerly awaiting the results of an aggressive drilling program to increase our income even further.

This 3-year process brought our family back together and dramatically improved all our individual financial conditions. R. King & Co. succeeded beyond expectations. Currently, we are assisting other families, transforming their minerals into income-producing assets. We look forward to providing management, development services and those rewards to you and your family.

 

New Certifications for R. King & Co.

R. King & Co. New CertificationR.King & Co. Operations Manager, Gaylan Pinkerton, is participating in two programs to ensure that our company stays current on all aspects of minerals development and management.

The University of Texas at Austin Petroleum Extension has developed a program for those who want to pursue knowledge in petroleum land-related activities. The program is approved by the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) and the State Bars of Texas and Oklahoma. Upon completion of the program, Gaylan will receive a Certificate of Completion from UT Austin-PETEX and be qualified to obtain certification from The AAPL.

The National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) created the Certified Minerals Manager (CMM) Program in 1991. The program’s mission is to provide unique educational opportunities and credentials for individuals wishing to improve their minerals management skills for personal or job-related use, including those who provide such professional services to others.

Gaylan is pursuing Professional Level Certification which is structured for the individual who is currently involved in any aspect of the management, administration or development of oil and gas properties. The CMM Program provides information in specialized areas largely unavailable through other sources and greatly enhances professional knowledge, qualifications and credentials.

The Professional Level Candidate must complete a minimum of fifty continuing education hours and sit for three stages of examinations administered by NARO. In November, 2012, Gaylan will complete these requirements by sitting for the Stage III Certification Examination at the annual NARO Convention. Upon successful completion of all stages of the certification examinations Gaylan will be awarded a Certified Minerals Manager Certificate.