Office of Mineral Resources

Geological, Engineering & Lands Division

617 North Third Street (70802)
P.O. Box 2827
Baton Rouge Louisiana 70821-2827
Voice 225.342.4615
FAX 225.342.4527

The Geological, Engineering and Lands Division provides the State Mineral and Energy Board (Board) with expertise, advice, and recommendations in the fields of geology, geophysics, and engineering, by compiling, maintaining, and analyzing varied scientific data to determine the most advantageous minerals exploration, development, and production on State-owned lands and water bottoms. 

This Division also performs the mineral leasing function on behalf of the Board, maintains State mineral lease ownership and property data, manages the docket of items submitted for Board consideration at the monthly meetings and maintains the official State mineral lease files.

The Division works closely with the Board's Tract Evaluation, Legal and Title Controversy, Docket Review and Lease Review sections and its staff provides the majority of public assistance at the public reference computer areas in OMR's Baton Rouge office.

The geologists and engineers also handle a variety of special projects involving minerals activity on State acreage at the request of departmental and office administration or as a result of developing industry activity.

 

NEW Resource Information

Information about OMR services and programs Service or Program Contact
  How to Acquire an Operating Agreement

Greg Roberts
(225) 342-1080

  How to Obtain a Seismic Permit on State Lands and Water Bottoms

Byron Miller
(225) 342-7121

  How to Nominate a Tract for State or State Agency Mineral Lease

Brian Jackson
(225) 219-9753

  How to Bid on a Tract of Land for State or State Agency Mineral Lease

Brian Jackson
(225) 219-9753

  How to Assign a State Mineral Lease

Cristina Vince
(225) 342-5002

  How to Release Acreage from a State Mineral Lease

Veronica Bateman
(225) 342-3359

  How to Submit a State Agency Lease for State Mineral Board Approval

Cristina Vince
(225) 342-5002

  How to Docket an Item for State Mineral Board Consideration

Cristina Vince
(225) 342-5002

  How to Register with the Office of Mineral Resources

Angela Patterson
(225) 342-4519

  How to Find Out if I Am Registered as a Prospective Leaseholder

Brian Jackson
(225) 219-9753

 

Resource Management Section

The Resource Management Section is divided into geographic Districts 1 East, 1 West, 2, 3 North and 3 South, each staffed by geologists who are responsible for monitoring all oil and gas related activities in their assigned area.

Section geologists evaluate and compile leasing and geological data pertinent to tracts nominated for State mineral lease sales, attend lease sales, and advise the State Mineral and Energy Board as to bids that are received and are the most advantageous to the State.

This section is responsible for monitoring and reviewing all existing State leases to insure that the lessee is prudently maintaining and developing the State lease.  Geologists monitor adjacent drilling activity (including the 8(g) offshore area) to ensure that offset activity does not drain reserves from State property.  They represent the State as landowner in the Office of Conservation forced pooling and unitization proceedings, evaluate requests for voluntary unitization, and review Board docket items and partial releases, working to ensure fair State participation in producing units.  They review State mineral leases for production, royalty payments, deferred development, and additional consideration portions of lease bids.

Staff also coordinates all meetings with industry representatives concerning plans of development and voluntary unit creation involving state acreage, as well as staff activities in support of the State Mineral and Energy Board Lease Review Section.

Leasing Districts Map

Special Projects Section

The Special Projects Section of the Office of Mineral Resources consists of geologists with expertise in geophysics and special geological projects.

They assist staff auditors with field and facility audits and staff geologists with reservoir and economic evaluations of tracts and producing leases.

Geologists, with expertise in geophysics, receive and process applications for non-exclusive seismic permits and evaluate requests for exclusive geophysical agreements prior to application.

They also interpret seismic data for the purpose of recommending current and prospective minerals activities advantageous to the State and protecting the State's interests in pooling and unitization matters.

Special projects geologists handle a variety of projects involving minerals activity on State acreage at the request of departmental and office administration or as a result of developing industry activity.

Engineering Section

The petroleum engineers for the Office of Mineral Resources receive requests for and perform detailed analysis of operating agreements, review and evaluate surface and downhole commingling requests, determine commercial productivity in connection with shut-in and/or gas marketing lease provisions and evaluate secondary recovery proposals.

Leasing Section

The Leasing Section of the Office of Mineral Resources receives and processes monthly proposals for mineral leases (commonly known as nominations or applications) for upcoming mineral lease sales.  Its staff prepares a Notice of Publication, which describes all tracts for a specific upcoming lease sale, including a legal description of the tract, a map of the tract advertised, minimum requirements for the advertised tract, and general guidelines for leasing.  Staff prepare the proposals for advertisement in the official journal of the State and the official journals in the parishes where the tracts are located. 

The Leasing Section receives monthly sealed bids for each monthly mineral lease sale and presents the sealed bids to the State Mineral and Energy Board (Board) in open forum for consideration.  Subsequent to the Board awarding bids at the monthly meetings, staff also processes and prepares the lease contracts.  After bids are accepted and leases awarded, staff obtains the authorized signatures necessary and mail the awarded lease to the successful bidder.

Docket and Ownership Section

The Docket and Ownership Section of the Office of Mineral Resources receives and reviews all documents of transfers of interest in State leases, such as assignments, mergers, name changes, successions, unitization agreements, compromise agreements, operating agreements, lease amendments, etc.  These documents are placed on the monthly docket for approval by the State Mineral and Energy Board.  Staff verifies the working interest and the correct portion of the lease being assigned and enter any changes into the ownership records of the Department's SONRIS informational program.  

Records Management Section

The Records Management Section of the Office of Mineral Resources maintains all State lease files containing the lease, instruments approved by the State Mineral and Energy Board, releases, and correspondence.  All documents are electronically imaged or scanned to enable viewing using the "Document Access" component of the Department's SONRIS informational program.  This information is also manually entered into the Database Access component of the SONRIS informational program for easy access by departmental personnel, the public sector, and industry representatives.  Staff also instructs the public sector and industry representatives on the implementation and use of the Department's SONRIS informational program.