Unproved Oil, Gas And Mineral Properties

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Unproved Oil, Gas And Mineral Properties [Abstract]

Unproved Oil, Gas And Mineral Properties

Note 4. Unproved Oil, Gas and Mineral Properties

Montana Leases

The Company's primary presence in Montana is in Valley County, where it holds leases covering approximately 32,313 net acres, which are the remaining unexpired leases from those leases the Company acquired in three separate acquisitions between July 2005 and February 2006. The leases acquired in those acquisitions are contiguous to each other and are referred to collectively as "the Valley County Leases."

The first acquisition of the Valley County Leases was in July 2005, when the Company acquired the rights to drill two 6,500 foot wells to test Mississippian Lodgepole reefs in Valley County, in northeast Montana for a one time fee of $50,000 from an entity controlled by one of the Company's Directors. That acquisition included a small amount of acreage and the option to drill fifty additional prospects in the Valley County area.

The second acquisition of the Valley County Leases was in November 2005, when the Company acquired a group of oil and gas lease rights to approximately 109,423 net acres in eastern Montana for $1,568,000 from EOG Resources, Inc. and Great Northern Gas Company. These leases are subject to various overriding royalty interests to others ranging up to 19.5%. These leases expire in years from 2011 to 2014.

The final acquisition of acreage within the Valley County Leases was in February 2006, when the Company acquired additional oil and gas leases in eastern Montana covering 27,740 net acres contiguous to its existing Montana leases. These leases were acquired from the Bureau of Land Management and United States Department of the Interior.

North Dakota Leases

The Company currently holds approximately 400 acres of leases covering its Red River prospect in North Dakota. In July 2005, the Company originally acquired leases to the deeper rights in approximately 21,688 net acres in and near Slope County, North Dakota for a one time fee of $50,000 from an entity controlled by one of the Company's Directors and the Company has invested some additional funds to geochemically test and high-grade these and other prospects on the leases. The majority of the leases previously held in North Dakota have expired.