Why CEFM?

At CEFM, we believe investing in oil well ownership should be easy. Drilling an oil and gas well from start to finish is extremely complex. Most investors do not have the time or connections to find, develop, drill, and manage an oil well. We use our resources to allow oil well investors to enjoy the benefits of an oil investment without the hassle of running the business. 

Oil Well Lifecycle

1. Review Prospect Data

oil investment locations on a map

Reviewing an oil well prospect involves analyzing geological, geophysical, and engineering data. Geologists examine rock formations, seismic surveys, and well logs. Meanwhile, engineers evaluate reservoir characteristics and production estimates. This process identifies viable drilling locations and estimates the economic viability of oil investing.

2. Prepare Geology & Maps

3D seismic structure

Geologists prepare geology maps for drilling an oil well by integrating geological data. Next, they analyze subsurface structures, rock formations, and seismic data to identify potential reservoirs. Then, they compile this information into maps, highlighting favorable drilling locations and potential hazards. Consequently, these maps guide oil well investing decisions, helping optimize well placement and enhance successful oil extraction.

3. Check Courthouse

court house

Before drilling an oil well, landmen or legal professionals perform a courthouse check. They examine public records to verify land ownership and lease agreements. They ensure compliance with regulations and secure necessary permissions. This step avoids legal conflicts and is crucial for investing in oil. The courthouse check clarifies the legal status of the land, minimizing potential challenges during and after drilling.

4. Negotiate Lease

oil investor reading lease

Negotiating a lease before drilling an oil well involves discussions between the oil company and the landowner. They agree on factors such as royalty rates, lease duration, and bonus payments. Legal experts draft a comprehensive lease agreement. This agreement outlines the rights and responsibilities of both parties. Successful negotiations enable oil well investing and ensure compensation and protections for the landowner.

5. Check Title

investing oil lease paper

Checking a title before drilling an oil well involves thoroughly examining legal records to verify ownership and mineral rights. Landmen or legal professionals review deeds, contracts, and other documents at the courthouse. Then, they ensure a clear and unencumbered title, crucial for oil well investing. This process identifies potential legal issues or conflicting claims. Clearing the title minimizes legal risks and secures necessary permissions for oil and gas exploration.

6. Pay Lease

writing a check for oil investment

Paying a lease before drilling an oil well involves the oil company fulfilling financial obligations to the landowner. Then, they make bonus payments to secure drilling rights and ongoing royalty payments based on extracted resources’ value. Timely and accurate payments are crucial for investing in oil. This ensures compliance with the lease terms and maintains a positive working relationship between the parties.

7. Engineering & Planning

oil well jack pump

Engineering and planning before drilling an oil well involve designing and organizing the drilling operation. Engineers analyze geological data to optimize well placement and plan drilling techniques. They design the wellbore and consider reservoir characteristics, drilling equipment, and safety measures. The planning phase includes developing a detailed timeline, cost estimates, and risk assessments. This meticulous preparation ensures efficient oil well investing and addresses technical challenges while adhering to safety and environmental standards.

8. Obtain Permits

department of energy paperwork

Obtaining permits before drilling an oil well involves navigating regulatory processes to secure government approval. This includes submitting detailed applications outlining the project’s environmental impact, safety measures, and regulatory compliance. Subsequently, environmental agencies assess the applications, and public consultations may occur. Successfully completing this process ensures the drilling operation adheres to legal and environmental standards. This step is crucial for responsible oil well investing.

9. Prepare Private Placement

oil investing private placement

Preparing a private placement before drilling an oil well involves crafting a detailed investment offering for private investors. This includes creating a prospectus outlining the project’s details, financial projections, risks, and potential returns. The oil company seeks funding from private investors to support drilling activities. Then, legal and financial experts ensure compliance with securities regulations and structure the offering. Successful preparation of a private placement secures the necessary capital for oil well investing.

10. Investment Made In Well

jack pump with coins in front

Investing money before drilling an oil well involves allocating capital to finance the drilling operation. Investors fund geological surveys, permitting, equipment acquisition, and drilling operations. They aim to secure a return through the successful extraction and sale of oil or gas. Investors assess the project’s viability, potential risks, and expected returns before committing capital. The invested funds cover the upfront costs essential for oil well investing.

11. Pay Surface Damages

equipment pushing dirt

Paying for surface damages after drilling an oil well involves compensating landowners for any disturbances caused. This compensation, outlined in the lease agreement, covers disruptions to agriculture, landscaping, or structural damages. The oil company assesses the damages and negotiates fair compensation with the landowner. Subsequently, they restore the affected areas and mitigate adverse effects. This step is essential for responsible oil well investing.

12. Stake Location

oil investment placement

Staking a location before drilling an oil well involves physically marking the designated site on the ground. For this reason, surveyors place markers or stakes at key points, defining boundaries and the proposed well location center. This on-site marking ensures precise alignment with geological and engineering considerations. It facilitates accurate well placement during the drilling process. Staking is crucial for translating geological data into actionable coordinates for oil well investing

13. Prepare Location

OSHA logo

Preparing a location before drilling an oil well involves clearing and leveling the drill site and setting up access roads. Workers install necessary infrastructure such as power and water supplies to ensure a safe environment for drilling operations. Then, they construct a drilling pad, set up containment systems for drilling fluids, and implement environmental protection measures. Proper site preparation is crucial for minimizing disruptions and adhering to safety and regulatory standards in oil well investing.

14. Drill Well

oil rig

Operators manage the drilling process by assembling the rig and equipment and initiating the starter hole. Then, they progressively drill to the target depth using drilling mud. Next, operators run logging tools to collect geological data and continuously monitor drilling parameters. They make real-time adjustments based on conditions and address issues promptly. Lastly, Operators coordinate with the drilling crew and ensure strict adherence to safety protocols and regulations. These measures protect personnel and the environment, essential for the oil investment.

15. Log The Well

Logging an oil well after drilling involves lowering specialized tools into the wellbore to collect geological data. This data includes rock types, porosity, fluid content, and other properties critical for assessing productivity. Subsequently, the results determine the next steps in well completion and production. This process is essential for informed oil well investing.

16. Run Casing & Cement

drilling pipe

Running casing and cement into an oil well after drilling involves inserting steel pipes into the wellbore and pumping cement around them. This process stabilizes the wellbore and prevents collapse. It also isolates underground layers to prevent fluid migration, ensuring the well’s integrity and safety. Proper casing and cementing are crucial for a successful oilinvestment.

17. Perforate Casing

well bore gun paid for by investing in oil

After drilling an oil well, operators use a perforating gun to create holes in the casing. Then, explosive charges are detonated to puncture through casing, cement, and rock, allowing oil and gas to flow into the wellbore for extraction. This precise process ensures safety and efficient oil well investing

18. Stimulate Well

fracking

After drilling an oil well, operators enhance oil and gas flow using techniques like hydraulic fracturing and acidizing. Nitrogen and water injection further increase productivity by improving hydrocarbon flow, crucial for oil well investing.

19. Fracture (If Needed)

fracking photo

After drilling an oil well, operators inject a high-pressure fluid mixture of water, sand, and chemicals into the wellbore. As a result, this mixture creates fractures in the rock formation, facilitating freer flow of oil and gas into the well. Sand props open the fractures, enhancing permeability and boosting production rates essential for oil well investing.

20. Test Well

gas guage

After drilling, operators assess an oil well’s productivity by conducting flow tests to measure oil and gas production rates. Then, they analyze extracted hydrocarbons for quality and conduct pressure tests to evaluate reservoir pressure and well integrity. These tests inform decisions on commercial production potential and strategies for oil well investing and development.

21. Set Production Facilities

After drilling, operators set up production facilities by installing equipment to extract, process, and transport hydrocarbons. Typically, facility cost are between 20%-30% of the oil investment. This includes wellheads, separators, pumps, and pipelines for oil, gas, and water separation. Additionally, they install storage tanks and metering systems to store and measure extracted resources. These facilities maximize efficiency, safety, and environmental compliance, crucial for oil well investing and transporting hydrocarbons to market.

22. Set Infrastructure

oil tanks paid for by oil well investing

Operators install equipment like wellheads, pipelines, storage tanks, and processing facilities for hydrocarbon extraction and transportation. This step provides substantial long term ax deductions for the oil investment. They also establish infrastructure for power supply, access roads, and safety. The aim is to create a functional and efficient system for extracting, processing, and transporting oil or gas, ensuring compliance with regulations and environmental standards, essential for oil well investing.

23. File Paperwork

texas legal paperwork

After drilling and completing a well, operators submit necessary documents and permits to regulatory agencies. This includes reports on construction, completion, and production, alongside environmental assessments and safety certifications. These filings ensure regulatory compliance and oversight of well operations, crucial for oil well investing.

24. Begin Oil & Gas Sales

gas Well head

Operators negotiate contracts with buyers, arrange transportation logistics, and comply with regulations when selling oil or gas. They negotiate prices, schedule deliveries, and coordinate transportation with pipeline operators or tanker companies. Additionally, they implement accurate measurement and quality control procedures to smoothly sell and transfer hydrocarbons to customers, crucial for oil well investing.

25. Bring Abstracts Up To Date

oil investment paper work

After drilling and completing a well, operators update legal records and documentation related to oil or gas wells. They update land ownership, lease agreements, and property rights information. Subsequently, this ensures accurate legal status, providing clarity and transparency crucial for oil well investing.

26. Attorney Prepares Title Opinion

oil and gas payment breakdown

Attorneys review legal documents and land records to assess ownership rights and title defects. Then, they analyze deeds, leases, contracts, and other documents to provide a title opinion on validity and marketability, ensuring clarity for property ownership and transfer, crucial for oil well investing.

27. Forward Title Opinion to Purchaser

envelope

Attorneys transmit findings and assessments of the property’s title to the purchaser. Then, they provide a comprehensive report detailing ownership rights, encumbrances, and potential title defects. This ensures transparency and clarity for the purchaser regarding the property’s legal status and associated risks. A critical for any oil investment.

28. Purchaser Prepares Division Order.

divisional order

After drilling and completing an oil well, the purchaser compiles legal and production data to prepare a division order. Then, they confirm ownership percentages, verify production volumes, and calculate revenue distributions based on lease terms and regulations. Finally, the division order formalizes each owner’s share of proceeds from oil and gas sales, crucial for oil well investing.

29. Division Order Sent to Oil Company

certified mail

The purchaser officially notifies the oil company of allocated revenue interests. They provide ownership percentages, production volumes, and revenue distributions outlined in the division order. Lastly, The oil company uses this information to allocate and distribute proceeds from oil and gas sales to interest owners as per the agreement, essential for any oil investment.

30. Oil Company Signs & Returns

oil investment paperwork

Then, the oil company reviews the division order from the purchaser. Once verified, the company signs it, acknowledging acceptance of revenue allocations. They return the signed division order to the purchaser, confirming the agreement and starting revenue distributions per agreed terms, crucial for oil well investing.

31. Purchaser Schedules For Payment

oil investment payment

After oil and gas sales, the purchaser provides invoices or sales agreements to the oil company for payment scheduling. Then, the company verifies sales data, calculates the owed amount based on agreed price and terms, and schedules payment. Finally, they issue a payment statement or remittance advice detailing the amount and date, ensuring timely settlement of purchaser’s accounts receivable, crucial for oil investing.

32. Oil Company Receives Payment

final investing oil payment

Upon oil and gas sales, the purchaser pays the oil company as per the agreed terms and pricing in the sales agreement. The oil company verifies and reconciles the received payment with provided sales data. They record the payment in their accounting system and update financial records accordingly, essential for oil investing.

33. Oil Company Pays Investors

Lastly, the ROI for the oil investment is recognized. The oil company pays investors based on their ownership stakes and sales revenue. Then, they calculate each investor’s share as outlined in division orders and issue payments promptly. This ensures investors receive accurate and timely compensation for oil and gas sales, crucial for oil investing.