Questions to ask your operator

By Bill Givens · Published October 8, 2026

When something on your statement looks wrong, the operator is who can fix it, and the simplest way to get a useful answer is to ask a specific question in writing. Here is a short list, organized by what you noticed.

Start every note the same way

Put these in the first lines: your name, your owner number 1, the well 2 and the sales month 3. It spares them the search, and it gives you a record. Email works; a letter is better if you expect to need proof later. Keep the date you sent it.

If a deduction looks high or is new

• What is this charge for, and who is it paid to?
• Is it a cost of the operator's own system, or charged by a third party?
• When did it start, and why does it not appear on earlier months?
• Which clause of my lease does it rely on?

If the volumes or price look off

• What are the volumes the state shows for this well and month, and why do they differ from the statement? (How to find them)
• What was the price based on, and where was the product sold?
• Is any of this month's volume held for a later adjustment?

If your share changed

• My decimal changed from one number to another. What changed in the unit or the well?
• Can you send me the current division order for this well?

If a well is missing or payments stopped

• A well I expected is not on my statement. Is it producing, and am I in its unit?
• Payments stopped in a certain month. Is the money being held, and why? Is there something you need from me?

If you do not get an answer

Ask again with the date of your first note. If it still goes nowhere, your state's oil and gas regulator, or an attorney who works with mineral owners, can tell you what your options are. We are not lawyers and cannot tell you what you are owed.

This is general information to help you read your statement. It is not legal, tax or investment advice. Your lease and your state's law decide what applies to you.