When oil prices drop

When oil prices drop, some operators stop drilling—and start suing.

That’s the quiet shift no one talks about. Instead of chasing new production, some operators look for profit in the courthouse. Title gets questioned. Ownership gets challenged. And suddenly, a lease that’s paid for becomes a lawsuit waiting to happen.

I’m writing this because when prices drop, litigation becomes strategy. And if you hold mineral interests in West Texas, you better know who else thinks they do too.

Here’s how operators find leverage—and profit—through title disputes when the market turns:

Identify unclear mineral records.

Look for old heirship gaps.

Flag missing probate or transfers.

Review pooling and unitization problems.

Target leases with expired or silent terms.

Use quiet title actions to remove claimants.

Challenge fractional interests in overlapping tracts.

Pressure weak owners to settle or walk away.

Use litigation as a tactic—not just a solution.

Strengthen your own title before others challenge it.

Don’t assume recorded means resolved.

Audit your leases before someone else does.

Have litigation counsel ready before court papers show up.

Be prepared to fight—or you might just get erased.

In a down market, courtrooms become oilfields. The question is—are you drilling or getting drilled?