Expert: Steven Taylor - 1/29/2011

Question
My Grandmother passed away in 1984 and left me the following oil royalties.  At the time, I was receiving very small dividend cheques but I have not received anything since 1997.  I have moved and lost track who are the trust companies looking after these oil royalties or if they are even worth anything any more.  Could you, please, give me any information you may have on:

Alberta Oil Incomes No. 1 Well Working Interest - Producer - Home Oil Ltd - Turner Valley - last dividend cheque from Central II Guaranty, Calgary, AB

Alberta Oil Incomes No. 2 Well Working Interest - same as above.

Provincial Syndicate No. 36 Working Interest - Company - Pembina Resources Ltd - last dividend cheque from Montreal Trust, Calgary, AB

Provincial Syndicate No. 42 Working Interest - same as above.

Thank you.

Answer
Unfortunately, I have no information on individual royalties. They are not publicly traded, and as well specific instruments, may have as few as 1 owner. Therefore, they are extremely difficult to track.

I suggest you try to contact the individual companies and see if they still operate the wells. Home Oil is no longer an independent entity, but should now be part of Devon Energy. Pembina became part of Manoil in 1988, and I don't know its current status.

I can also suggest you contact the Provincial oil and gas regulators and see what information they have available. For Alberta, that website is http://www.energy.alberta.ca/