The hearing for the two lawsuits scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed until August 10, 2015. In the meantime the new CFR's will not become effective until after the August 10th date. I'm sure the Osageblogger will be posting the details and links to the court filings soon.
WOO HOO! FANTASTIC NEWS! Word has come down that a stay has been issued and in effect by the Federal Court in Tulsa with a hearing postponement until August 10, 2015 !!! !!! !!!
See Federal judge postpones implementation of new oil-field regulations in Osage County at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/courts/federal-judge-postpones-implementation-of-new-oil-field-regulations-in/article_b30db97c-7371-5388-9659-7a2d915d7f29.html
This is very interesting: Update; "Vince Logan (Osage) will not appear at the hearing as originally announced by the committee." See "Witness list for Senate Indian Affairs Committee trust reform hearing" at http://indianz.com/News/2015/018087.asp
At Indianz.com,is some articles on this horror: Editorial: Osage Nation loses out, 7-6, close to bottom of page. Then on that article I liked the Editorial from Oklahoman news paper, 7-5, that really tells a lot. Also at the top of Indianz.com, talks about Vince Logan no show and OST @ Senate hearing. Get aot from newsok.com on energy. Much going on here with the oil and gas. Personally I think the chief wants control and the hell with what the shareholders and MC want to do!!!
I see says the blind man, not blind at all, its not as if this wasn't talked about years ago...we will throw him to the curb if he fells to represent. He knows this. Do we have another Chief who is in bed with the enemy or is he the enemy from with in? However, it will be done.
One thing is for sure, How is the Trust Management working from all sides of this matter? This forum would be an example not what to do. Should this spread like a wild fire across Indian Coubtry...hear our story and a Lesson learned.
Maybe the chief has the BIA in his pocket. He's just too cool about all this and too quiet. He has said the BIA only looks at the new constitution, not the 1906. We may have to as shareholders to take him to the courts. Since there seems no clear meaning who has legal say of the trust.
Federal trumps..in other words we have a Constitution that means nothing to the Federal Government when in fact holding up the law. They hold in trust our Multi-Billion M.E...the 1906 act is intact...as much as the Nation would like to take Control will not happen by any Standard and because the O.N Constitution gives the Superior power to Govern.by the M.C and the Chief knows this...it will take one phone call to bring this to an End. I believe there are whistle blowers...this situation with DOI and BIA lack of ability to get thing under control at a Administrative level has created a environment of failure from the get go. Incompetency at this level is almost unheard of and no longer can be used as an excuse for what is happening still to this day. The Federal Government needs to look at the OSAGE. Thats all I am saying for the time being...or call this a gut feeling.
What we do know, before our very eyes, as someone said it is not the Osage way to point the finger, and look at where we are today? Next you will hear thers enough blame to go around as the feet drag. The Five Man Board, the OLLC Board, the Commissioning Board, to the Congressional body all who played a role in losing millions and what will be the end result..1. Excuse we did not make the dead lines...2. Proper policies to protect were not in place. 3.I take the 5th. Yes Chief this all reflects on you..all eyes are waiting to hear from our leader in Chief. How funny, everyone is watching Obama at this very moment leading badly in the Pols. The irony.
Osage County feeling pinch of administration's anti-fossil fuel mindset: http://newsok.com/osage-county-feeling-pinch-of-administrations-anti-fossil-fuel-mindset/article/5431398/?page=2
Just sos everybodies on the same page, the BHT is going to be out today Thurs. with the lead article Producers Have 'Till August 10 and in there it has this, "...although it is unclear whether the Minerals Council has the authority to sue on its own behalf." I went back and found part of this comment to put up here again: Then the Mineral Council, minus the votes of both Crum and Yates despite the fact that these two should be able to see by now that things are spiraling wildly out of control with these new CFRs and a ton of other regulations the BIA is starting to roll out, vote to sue the BIA and the Chief stands down even though he could put in a legal action for an injunction on behalf of the Osage Nation as well because the Constitution says that the Mineral rights are reserved to the Osage Nation giving him the ability to do it. If he fails to run to Court on Monday and the Federal court denies the injunction because everyone isn't there who should be, Standing Bear, like Chief Gray, who lost the Federal reservation recognition in Federal Court, risks losing a sizable portion of mineral estate oil and gas production and whatever negative affects it will have on the whole of Osage County. He may well be be the Chief who will bear the brunt of the judgement of history branded as the one who destroyed the productivity of the Osage Mineral Estate for the Shareholders. They don't talk about the Osage Congress losing the reservation even though most of them in office at the time voted to fund the lawsuit. The one history now holds responsible for it is Jim Gray.
A later comment reads: One thing I've learned the hard way about this de facto government is how much is claimed to be fictitious from a speculative perspective which has a tendency to turn into cold hard fact.
Out of respect to Geoffrey StandingBear as Chief of the Osage Nation, perhaps someone of substance should invite him to join the lawsuit on behalf of all of the interested parties involved.
Well...not so fast, every so often a politically masterful idea has it's place and it might work to resolve the problem. Not my idea by the way but that of someone I know who is far smarter about such diplomatic maneuvers than I am.
I don't think that's a good idea. For the sake of legal standing I think I would be best for us as shareholders to keep our distance.
However much Geoffy, Jimmy Gray, the nation, and the BIA may like to believe the constitution trumps the ME created by the '06 act. It doesn't, federal law, however inconvenient for all these folks, trumps all.
I know but keep in mind that the Nation had representatives with the HHP lawsuit that included the then Chief and the then Speaker of the Osage Nation Congress.
Yes, but if remember correctly that was without objection from the then OMC (who at the time couldn't wait to play in the nations sandbox) and who had already won that argument in court, that being that they DO have the right to file suit on behalf of the shareholders they represent.
I do not support letting the Nation muck about in our affairs. Not only does it put officials who don't have to answer to the shareholder in the drivers seat, more importantly, it sets a bad legal precedent. This is exactly why previous councils should not have let it happen.
Besides, I think their inept council already cost us millions and years in the HPP case. Remember there was no trust responsibility (damages) owned the non-Osage shareholders (see the Missouri payout) yet the Nation and their legal council made sure the white shareholders got the HPP payout. Personally, I would rather my payout been a third higher.
Good point where was the representation to not allow the Non-Osages be apart of this Suit, the HPP they were not harmed..damages is right, what happened there as well? I'll say it again, this Government was not to be, not this way...
It was not a matter of not allowing non-Osages to be apart of the suit. They could not be apart of suit by definition. They are not and can not be restricted, therefore the government owes them no trust responsibility. However, the Nation went out of it's way to include the non-Osages in they payout. The non-Osages who were owned nothing took 1/3 of the settlement thanks to the Nation and their legal team. And let's not forget the Nation honoring and having Drummond days up on the hill, or whatever they called it. Now Drummond is filing lawsuits bringing mineral production to a stand still.
I do not blame the Drummond as much as I blame the upper echelon at the BIA. The Nation, you mean the few Osages that are playing house, that house is not made of bricks..and will come tumbling down and all it takes is one phone call...with the five man board and everyone who was responsible for the failure and huge loss of money and the untold story and the overages on the build out of the CASINOs and one loss after another with no real consequence and now they can't locate the defendants is not a surprise. And I hold the CHIEF RESPONSIBLE. This was not the way we were supposed to go...you can't cover up the truth. This money from the Casinos was not to form a Government of this Nature. This money was for your communities not to make a few rich..I know. To bring,not to steal or throw away. As I said before greed has lost the way of tnose few who sit where they do..and this will change..I can Guarantee this much. Like I said theres more to this. We are not in so deep that we can not restructure or just quit. And hit restart and count the loss..
You guys just kill me sometimes. The drawdown was used for the legal on HPP and that was for both Osages and non-Osages because they PAID for that lawsuit too. That's why they were included in the payout. Stop being so greed driven. It's not your money and not your business. Tend to your own knittin' and keep it that way from now on.
"HPP and that was for both Osages and non-Osages because they PAID for that lawsuit too. That's why they were included in the payout. Stop being so greed driven. It's not your money and not your business."
I don't even know where to begin. We all know or have family members who have been swindled, robbed and murdered for their headrights. Still today attorneys probating estates are stealing headrights from unknowing families and the DOI and BIA are letting it happen. Defunct long closed institutions are still somehow cashing checks from our ME. Church's have tried to give back headrights because of theft, not to mention the blood on them. I am at loss to imagine how you can defend that.
Greed is why my grandpa was murdered (choked to death and then had his head and face stomped in). It is OUR money and it is OUR business and the fact of the matter is these non-Osages, who shouldn't have headrights in the first place (other than for lifetime use), shouldn't have been given our money ...yet again.
Tend to our own "knittin," folksy homespun vernacular aside, that doesn't even make any since. When it's our money being given away it is our "knittin".
Not yours to fuss over. The Nation's just about to shut down your whole operation, kill off what's coming to you in a quarterly check and all you can think about is somebody elses check and why they don't have a right to it. You are so going to deserve what happens to you in the next few years it make me laugh at how much you've got it coming.
Thanks Ray McClain for your article. Let's just hope there are checks to send out in December. I'm facing losing my pickup. Things are bad when you cant work and nowhere to get cash for your family. social sec. just goes so far.
Good article on 7/7/15 from Ray at http://www.osages-you-need-to-know.com I am so sorry to hear that. If you are Osage, the Nation has a fund for emergencies that may apply if you qualify. See https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/constituent-services
He got right to the point! I went to tnhofes web page and press releases and it came on up. He really told that Sally off !!!! Thanks osageblogger for showing us this.
Another report in the Press --->>> Inhofe, Lankford say new BIA rules threaten Osage oil operations http://www.ogj.com/articles/2015/07/inhofe-lankford-say-new-bia-rules-threaten-osage-oil-operations.html
How is the M.E going to get updated to the 21st Century with or with out these New Regs? We know the Grand Failure at a administrative level is still happening at the BIA and are not equipped, what I see is someone does not want the M.C to be successful. As much as it is the M.C is not equipped either way, why? There is so much failure representing the Shareholder's even the lack of support from the Nation is mind boggling wouldn't you say? Where is the control of the Asset Management at the Nation? The diligence and the fail safe risk controls by Policy? And we know what we are talking about Chief StandingBear. This all happened under your watch...incompetence is not in your favor. And then you have some nerve to want to go the UTE way for development of producing oil off the backs of the Shareholder's is more like a stab in the back unless that money is to come back to the Shareholder's other wise a huge Conflict of Interest. Pray for the Wind Farms crisis ends, does the hypocrisy never end? We pray for you that you do right. Since we are an Agency why have two Agencies for development of oil? Why not work directly with the Council, Shareholder's should know what your role in all of this is and you should be considered. ..Remember what got you where you are at..not forgot the 1906 Act. And the fact the 31st Council allowed for you to exist in the position that you are in. Your Loyalty is required under the Oath you took. I see so many people's voices but yours should be the Loudest. So when I say the Shareholder's have so many odds against them because of the burocracy has become so burdensome to the mineral state the detrimental and long term effects on the shareholders, we don't know because of failure at the administrative level the long term effects on the shareholders will be. The redundancies and the inefficiencies are as if not worse now before the HPP suit for all appearances. This has gone on for over a year...The Shareholder's want answer's not excuses..not that we dont understand the price of oil has dropped, more is going on here..
No one is saying that changes don't need to be made. They all must go back to the drawing board with the oil and gas producers seated at the table as well. They do the work and they should have a say.
"...if I was to have the Osage Nation ...file a Friend of the Court brief I would need to work through our laws. We would need a Resolution from the Osage Minerals Council recognizing the authority of the Osage Nation in the case..." ~ Standingbear at Osage for Fiscal Responsibility
I'm not sure what Standingbear is saying here. A Friend of the Court brief does not by any measure of federal court rules and procedure need a resolution or MOU from a party involved in the case recognizing the "Friends" supremacy or authority before it can be filed. Anyone, private citizen included, can petition the court to file an amicus brief. Usually you simply need to be a party of compelling interest with permission from the court to file the brief. In some venues all parties involved in the case have to agree to allow the brief but that is decided in the venue of the court not by some outside council meeting.
As always I may be wrong, but to my eye Mr. Standingbear's comment reads like political double speak.
If the ME and the OMC are so subordinate to the Nation why is it, for years now, the Nation has sought at every turn to get the OMC to recognize them via resolution or sign an MOU. If the Nation's power over the ME was inherent there would be no need for such actions.
Correct. I'm not the only one who thinks he's playing chicken with the MC to get them sign over power to him he has no right to have. He knows that and so did Jim Gray and Johnny Red Eagle but these goons still keep coming. Now he's holding our headright money hostage in order to get an agreement and more power over the MC and they won't let him do it. They've done their part and have gotten into court and he needs to do his part or risk everything against those crappy new CFRs going into effect and all the destruction they will bring to the bottom line of the OME.
ATTENTION SHAREHOLDERS! Two of your elected Mineral Council members that support the new CFRs and the BIA today have taken action in retaliationagainst Revard Oil & Gas for their constructive criticism against the CF ours, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Osage Mineral Council members that do not supporting the Osage Oil operator. MC members Crum and Yates have instructed the BIA to look for any potential violations by Revard Oil & Gas. These two men need to be removed from office and fired. Instead of being smart businessman they are letting their personal feelings and egos get in the way of protecting the mineral estate, supporting the shareholders and the Osage oil and gas operator. They have supported the new CFRs from day one and now for them to have a personal vendetta against someone who speaks out with constructive criticism is childish and unnecessary.
This appears to me to be unethical behavior on the part of Crum and Yates. Yates works directly for the Osage Nation and may have engaged in unethical "conduct unbecoming" as an employee of the Osage Nation. I suggest that you file an ethics complaint with the new Attorney General, Holli Wells on both men. I'm not sure what will happen with Crum who is entirely under the umbrella of the Minerals Agency but my suggestion is to file a complaint on both of them if you have concrete proof that this retaliation has taken place. here is the loaction of the Ethics Complaint Form: http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/attorney-general/downloads
Thank you for the information. For years now my brother Paul S. Revard has invested in "The Osage" as our father before us did and for him to be punished for speaking out, sharing his concerns about the damage the new CFRs will create for ALL Osage Operators is just sad. As a Shareholder I find that the MC members thou their hearts might be in the right place their talent, knowldge and experience doesnt not give them the credentials to manage and grow the mineral estate. the Osage mineral Council has been non effective and came to the game way too late to help the Osage producers who by the way are their partners. Without the Producers investments and risk taking the Shareholders would not have their 20% royalties. We all know the Tribe has never been capable of producing and refining their own fossil fuels. Our father attempted to get the teibe to do juat that back in the 60s but it fell on deaf ears.
Thank you for bringing this matter to a Stand..Mr.Revard...I to share in your dismay with the Council as well as I am dissatisfied is a understatement, at best the incompetence can no longer be ignored or for that matter used as an excuse. The Shareholder's at this point will make a move as to decide the fate of said Council Members. I will lead on this matter. What is bothersome had the Majority been made aware would we be at were we are at? And does that matter at this point? Given the war with Opec and the falling prices. What I do know who is minding the Camp sorta speak. It all boils down to "Asset MANAGEMENT ". We know the BIA is ill equipped soooooooo, then you now have the M.C saying our VOICE is being taken away with these NEW CFR's. Oh there's enough blame to go around and once again we find ourselves back at the round table..had there been bylaws and ao forth, long over due..and we want term limits as well.. our COUNCIL needs to be aware no longer the Shareholder's will not be kept in the Dark about their ASSET. Had we had a full running Petroleum Office , we could have prevented the DONNELSON case. It is so evident the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is going to be the demise of the ESTATE, THEY WILL BE PAYING FOR YEARS TO COME because what looks good on paper does not mean it is good for The Estate. I know what it means to run a Multi -Million dollar business, ask not what you can do for me but what I can do for you...That means you take charge and rid the cancer...I would like to say I don't get it but I do..simple in terms...it is evident what needs to be done...thank you once again Mr. Revard.
Attention Shareholders: Retraction and Clarification...
I was misinformed as to the activity of Crum and Yates in regards to them looking for violations by Revard Oil and Gas. It appears that they did not seek retaliation for my brothers outspokenness against the new CFRs but instead are investigating my late grandfather, uncle and late father's company BBR (Biddick Biddick and Revard) in a attempt to assist the Bureau of Indian Affairs with efforts to prove that BBR decision to turned over their Gas lease back to the tribe was not a result of the new CFRs. The fact is BBR has operated these leases for years at a breakeven point or in the Red with hopes that the natural gas prices would rebound. After reviewing the requirments of the CFRs a business decision was made that the CFRs would put the leases further in the Red so it was best to walk away from the leases. It is my opinion that the two MC members should not be assisting the BIA in this effort and secondly if the BIA was fullfilling their duties the BBR production information would be available with a keystroke but we all know the records or years behind and not electronic.
My opinion about the Mineral Council lact of knowledge and experience still stands. Not only has the BIA failed the Shareholders and Operators but so has the Osage Mineral Council.
James, your stock just went up 100% in my book. We have all been fed a ton of misinformation lately, and you were apparently another victim. You could have let this stand, but you didn't. You were man enough to correct the error, and I admire you for that. We Shareholders need more people like you pumping our oil.
7/10 @ 4:31 The event will highlight challenges and showcase opportunities in the areas of: •Science and technology, policy, and the regulatory environment •Community- and commercial-scale energy project development •Tribal education and workforce development •Federal procurement •Energy sector supply chain participation.
Looks like the feds are serious about following policy, the regulatory environment, and energy project development. Things like this are what the MC should be pursuing instead of chasing their tails around a Federal court house suing the BIA.
As a shareholder I disagree 10:17AM, so does a lot of us including Sen. Inhofe. This crap needs to stop. You need to come back down to reality. People here just trying to survive. Osages are one of the most educated tribes there is and know of our opportunities. Who ever u r, get to know the Osage before making such statements!
The tribe is highly educated hmm, really to the tune of 60,000000 million dollars and then sum? Some of us has more education on their little pinky than most in the Osage Government. Are you kidding me..The excuses need to end..back to the same ole song and dance should we least forget how we got to where we are at today as a reminder. Less we should forget how this O.N Government is mirroring the Obama Administration or for that matter the U.S Government, we are not. We have enogh blood line and ties that would agree and that would be the Majority descendants of the original Alotees would speak to that..as to coomon sense should prevail. Always does, sometimes at a price right. Life is 10%, 90% is what you do about it..hmmm Government never downsizing but it starts at home, the Casinos who our the fabric of the Ntaion, sound familiar?
Update1-OMC Court Hearing Cancelled: New Date is August 10, 2015 http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/update1-omc-court-hearing-cancelled-new-date-august-10 Why is the Nation's Judicial Court doing this when they know or should know by now that the MC will be in Federal Court in Tulsa on that date. How stupid is that?
I just now received my copy of this month's edition of the Osage News. I searched three times and could not find an article about the BIA CFR training sessions or about the two lawsuits file by our OMC and the producers. Really? Please refer me to the page if I overlooked it. I can't believe this topic is not front page news. I can't find any mention of it.
The Osage News claims to be the "Official Newspaper of the Osage Nation". If this is true, what Osage Nation are they referring to? Certainly not the one in Northeastern Oklahoma. The cultural coverage is excellent, but what about the livelihood of the Osages? They do a pretty good job about reporting news regarding the bingo casinos and some scandal. I noticed that they gave credit the Osage college graduates for whom I'm very proud of. Some of their parents won't be able to send the next bunch of kids to college if they loose their oil and gas income. I think this is news worthy but I do not have a news paper to express this.
I suggest that one of the new college graduates start a newspaper for the "Shareholders" so that news affecting them can be circulated to their fellow Shareholders. I would be the first to subscribe.
Finally! I'm glad someone else is speaking out about the Osage News. They are a "soft" news source that specializes in puff pieces about the Osages and what they are doing but rarely do you see anything too challenging or aggressive. This BIA/Shareholder/CFRs situation is the biggest news in the entire County and they are sitting right on top of it but you would hardly even know it.
Do the math, you don't hear the Nation complaining about the CFRs or even talking much about them. Add to that the two minerals council members who are proponents of the CFRs are also the strongest proponents of a Nation take over of the mineral estate, then think about the claim that the new CFRs require confiscated equipment to go to the Nation who has an unfunded energy company and you might get your answer about why the Osage News doesn't cover the CFR debacle. The Nation holds the purse strings and so the fate of Osage News.
It's just my opinion but it all gives the appearance that the Nation is for the CFRs as written. The reaction of officials in the Nation hasn't been even a fraction of how they reacted about the wind mills. I think that says something.
In regard to the BBR exit from the Osage after 60 plus years, I am familiar with their plight. They have extremely marginal net income form their gas production and during some months, they operate their wells at a loss. If they are to comply with the new CFR's they will have to pay a consultant to perform the new burdensome reporting. Just this small additional expense makes all the difference in the property making a profit or producing at a loss. They decided to plug the wells rather that put up with the expensive new regulations. From a Shareholder's perspective, wouldn't you prefer to encourage BBR to keep producing their wells with the slim margin rather than plugging them?
Galen Crum and Andrew Yates were in the Osage Agency Friday to research the production of BBR in an effort to prove that the exit of BBR is insignificant because BBR's production from these leases is so low.
Why are these two Council Members conducting this research? Of course, they are working for the benefit of the BIA and DOI and contrary to the resolutions adopted by the majority resolution votes of the Mineral Council. These two Council Members were in the minority when the subject of the new CFR's were presented and they should be supporting the majority vote rather than sabotaging the will of the majority.
I think there is an ethics issue here that should be addressed. Maybe a recall of their Mineral Council Membership.
Why are they going to these extremes to minimize they affect of BBR's exit from the Osage? They are in the DOI/BIA's hip pocket.
WTH? So what is this going to turn out to be? Is every small producer going to be $$$ evaluated relative to their worth to the bottom line for how much production they've been responsible for during the last 50 years in order to undercut their position that will even further denigrate them and further their plight? Are you telling me that these two would stoop this low in order to justify these CFRs moving forward? Are they trying to initiate some sort of small producer persecution now? You know, if this actually proves to be true, there are rats the size of small dogs crawling around in gutters all over the world that I think more highly of, at times, than Yates and Crum and their puppet master Sonny Abbott.
The report should also include the value of the assets which will be abandoned pursuant to the new CFRs. The CFR changes will have these assets transferred to whoever picks up the lease without compensation to BBR. This will allow the new operator to make a profit level which BBR was unable to achieve, having had to invest in equipment and sunken costs associated with prospecting and drilling.
Of course, this scheme only results in a one time competitive advantage for the group(s) taking over abandoned leases. At some point this catches up and new investment must be made, at which time it is likely that oil production in Osage County will drop to an insignificant level.
This whole mess smells to high Heaven and isn't in the best interests of the shareholders.
OMG! If this is true, this is a classic ploy of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to put in a disinformation campaign to undermine and undercut the opposition's point of view. Has it really come down to this? You can't get anything out of that Osage Agency. If true, the only way Galen and Andrew could even hope to do so is with the blessing of those much higher up in the BIA.
“What report” is right. I doubt there is any “report.” It is the responsibility of each MC member to know how much a lease is producing. That’s the first thing they need to know when opening negotiations for leasing or making other important decisions about our Mineral Estate. If the Council knew what they were doing, they would have it set up on a computer where each could retrieve this information from their office (if only they had an office.) It looks to me like Yates and Crum were simply doing their jobs, and not depending upon all the horse crap information that has been being dumped upon us in the last several months to make important decisions. The issuance of Mr. Revard’s retraction fully bears this out. Knowing that there is very little day to day expense involved to produce a gas well once it is on-line, these leases, with gas prices at historical lows and according to Mr. Revard’s post here, have been in a borderline situation for a long time. It could be several years before gas prices recover enough to make them truly profitable. These leases were obviously ripe to be shut in and BBR has decided to do just that. Any prudent operator in the same situation would do the same thing. Why waste time beating a dead horse? And 12:27 PM, the only thing that smells to high heaven is your misguided understanding of oil field economics and operations.
The economics of any business requiring the investment of capital and labor is the same. The "magic" in the oil business is in locating deposits, drilling, and operating at a cost which can sustain a profit, after accounting for on-going expenses of production. A part of the initial cost is the investment in assets associated with the well, and part of the on-going expenses is depreciation.
If a party picking up an abandoned lease takes over the assets with no investment when it assumes operation, then it has a competitive advantage due to elimination of the investment in the assets and drilling expenses. In such a case it will have a book profit where the previous producer was operating at or near break-even due to depreciation expenses and the low price of oil. Eliminate on-going book expenses related depreciation of expenses and a break-even operation becomes a profitable one.
As to the report, the communication of the findings is a report - whether oral or written. Since there is knowledge of the fact finding, it only stands to reason that the facts will be communicated to someone.
The transfer of assets from an abandoned or forfeited lease pursuant to the new CFRs reeks of corruption. Apparently, the legal department at the BIA has never read the 5th Amendment, which states "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
It still doesn't give galen the right as a lone wolf to do this without a vote from all members!!! I'm not sure about the whole thing, but we'll find out.
To the blogger posting on July 12, 9:16 PM: The BBR leases were not "ripe to be shut-in". You are not familiar enough with these leases to make this determination.
For your information, the wells on these properties have "behind the pipe" potential as well as development offset drilling locations that should be pursued, if and when, the DOI/BIA and our Mineral Council removes the strangle hold on the producer. Mr. Crum and Mr. Yates are not qualified to make this evaluation as it would involve geological mapping, petroleum engineering evaluation including interpretation of electric logs, etc. One cannot just look at production history.
BBR is not allowed to develop their leases due to EA's, beetle bug studies, etc. They were operating their wells at an extremely low profit margin, to keep the BIA from terminating the leases so that some day when the EA's and other restrictions are eventually removed, they can resume developing their leases. Now, with the new CFR's, the last straw, BBR has finally given up and taking their capital elsewhere as all of us producers have started to do. Good bye Osage County. Good bye Shareholder royalties! Congratulations to the Obama administration!
In any event, if a man or a woman for that matter, says they are leaving because of the new regulations be that of those related to Fish and Wildlife, the new CFRs, or the NEPA, that is their call to make and no amount of research will make any difference. To try and and come up with some theory based on numbers in the Agency Office to prove that this oil and gas producer is leaving because some other reason which is trying to be proven in an effort to undermine the producer giving that reason, this is the worst way to be disrespectful to the producer because what you are doing is trying to make a case in order to call that producer a liar. Are these two renegade members of the MC in support of the CFRs and in contraversion of the concerns expressed by the members of the Oklahoma U.S. Senate so in denial of the facts or in such a delusionary state that they are now sinking to such depths of degradation? This is getting out of hand.
It's bull headed on the part of those two and detrimental to the Osage Shareholders to keep hanging on to those terrible CFRs. If the members of the U.S. Senate can see the danger and send a letter to Sally Jewell to correct her behavior and get rid of the new CCFs, why can't they?
Has anyone realized what an enormous conflict of interest exists with Andrew Yates being on the OMC and also holding oil producers fates in his hands via his ability to pass/fail MIT tests (Mechanical Integrity Tests) for disposal/injection wells? Producers are petrified about offending him and he is skulking around BIA offices digging up dirt on these same producers. These facts should be brought up in front of the OMC. He should resign.
Too bad 1:07PM that this was not considered or revealed during the election process. Shareholders only have themselves to blame for electing the wrong people. I hope next time around there will be more informed voting.
No one should resign..throw all of them out....the cancer has spread. No accident there. The menaing of insanity is doing the same thing over again from the BIA to the M.C all the wag to the top official at the DOI..you cannot expect a different outcome from a perspective we have a Toxic M.E meaning the state of mind set with our M.C stinks to high heaven in corruption. No one is on the page the page og the Majority the Shareholder's side and I am seeing this in a very pragmatic way and this just gets deeper. All under the guiss we are sovereign and this was a choice made for us not the other away around. In my opinion this Council is feckless.
There has been word out about Yates for years being an Osage Nation guy because he's worked for the Osage Nation all along. People just don't pay attention when the time around for the election. They call their family and friends and vote that ticket. It's been that way forever.
Problems are easily solved and the squeaky wheels are waiting to spin.? In other words someone in little china will have to answrr to when the Feds realize they are being toyed with...and thats my opinion. But its not just them alone bottom line the Shareholder's that have beeb kept in the dark about their asset being used like a wet sponge..just got together with a few Osages this weekend...do you not think that the Osages are formulating. To some degree they are and how much in the dark they are about the politics...and they are saying how did this happen in this day and age...so you tell me the Shareholder's are comprised to the situation by two Agencies of the situation who have a interest in the protection of the M.E not keep the majority of Shareholder's the loop? How did we come to a Nation..I a major stakeholder did not get my Vote in 2006..I didn't subscribe to the Newspaper back in 2006, isn't znd wasn't that the resource used to reach the Shareholder's back then, Nd you tell me how fair that was, where was the help from the BIA?
We need a recall of the entire Mineral Council Members and then have an election to replace them all with qualified individuals with oil and gas experience. Why have we not heard from Chairman Waller? He has two renegade council members and all hell is breaking out. What kind of leader would stand back, do nothing, and be silent? Oh, Obama comes to mind! After second thought, Obama is not a leader, he is an organizer. Obama's cronies have served him well in regards to our mineral estate. Sally Jewell will no doubt be highly decorated with her achievement to destroy our mineral estate. Michael Black will probably get a promotion which he will share with our ignorant Superintendent, Robin Phillips, who doesn't no sh..t from Shinola or "come here from sick'em, about the oil and gas industry!
What a cluster fest! Really? This is a billion dollar estate run by idiots, at all levels. The Shareholders should have a very convincing cause to initiate legal action against the Feds again, and this time, for billions, not millions!
Where are the Shareholders? They should be outraged! Why are they silent? They have as much at stake as do the producers. Their silence is defining. They will only have themselves to blame when their checks dwindle to nothing. The producers have tried to rally them and educate them about the current situation but only one or two have made comments on this site which is supposedly their blog site.
Oh well? Good bye to the royalty checks! Hope bingo casinos and tobacco work out for you.
I think a lot of the Shareholders don't really know what is happening and many are unwilling to face how bad it is and how bad it could get if all this regulation takes out a swath of the oil and gas producers in Osage County. Some of them, if not most are really frightened and don't know what to think or say or to do about it and that's why I have been working night and day to try and help sort this madness out. Even some of the producers are not fully aware of the seriousness of the situation. I have had comments from other social media sites that have strongly indicated that without the Osage Blog and comments to some of the others like Facebook that they wouldn't have a clue as to what is going on right now. These are comments that have come in to me from other social media web sites that I have joined fairly recently in an effort to get the word out to as many as humanly possible:
"Your knowledge is awesome to me...You have been a great source of information, and are willing to share,,,most appreciated here. Thanks for being a leader."
"I like to read your comments, and I agree with most of them...Because I work for the tribe, I have to watch what I say, so I do not post my comments, that would hurt my employement...Thank you again for standing up for our tribe."
It's early days yet and this regulation tsunami with the CFRs is only a month old. It takes time to get the word out but I believe if we keep up our efforts to share and raise awareness with one another that in the not too distant future, it will lead to very positive results.
Wow Osagblogger we all have listened to what you have say as well. And for someone who works for the Nation I am happy you have this forum..it has been hard as well not to be as candid, but as this point what we are seeing is unfolding the very truth is coming to a head more or less the truth reveals itself and now we can see the forest for the trees. Am I ashamed yes ,but no longer can we sit Idle and not not, not speak about actually the truth about what has happened and to have to put the pieces of the puzzle together is still puzzling in one breath. As I have said where is Waller in all of this, where is the Chief in all of this...? Then you had Yates and Crum who all of a sudden has disappeared into thin air and have stop responding to some very good questions on this site that need to be answered to the best of their Knowledge since they were so pro per the CFR's leads me to believe that because the silence is deafening leaves me to believe that there was Motive...even Ray McClain has nothing to say who also was a proponent of said CFR's all silent...ah Facebook your not going to get the real better perspective than this site can offer. Though facebook is one way of communication, at this point you cannot sugar coat, and fingers need to point and its happening and the M.C should be ashamed for not handling damage control in the most appropriate way...had we had a full petroleum office this would have been handled in the most appropriate way..had we had a legal dept, had we had an advertising dept and so forth, organized with bylaws to put an end to unethical behavior but we don't and for pete's sake why the hell not in the 21st century and this is where we are at still at square one a hundres years later? A Billon dollar Estate cannot not run by Pencil alone..long over due should our M.C be removed and replaced. Should the Shareholders be heard. Incompetency is not the norm, no longer accepted as an excuse..we will move forward with an agenda should the Community of Shareholder's unite. Our Voice will be heard loud and clearly.
Transperency is long over due should the Intgrity of the M.E be presreved for another 100 years, but we are not even near that path are we and all of us have to ask that question, why not?
@Anonymous July 13 9:10PM. Thats so typical of an Osage Shareholder. You dont want to hear the truth about the state of the Mineral Estate and your elected officials. Do you realize that the MC does not and will not keep you informed? There hasnt been a new letter or any reporting to Shareholders since 2014. You just want to post about BS that has no impact on your wallet? Maybe you should go elsewhere. Try the Osage News it has not meat to it.
Get a life or a job because you wont be able to live off the imcome of the mineral estate for much longer.
Yes, I have a friend that does not see all that's going on right now. She says as long as the oil is pumping why worry I think all this trouble is more than some can bare and deal with. A lot of the shareholders are getting old and sick. There is not too many people in Osage County that are really the right people for this MC and deal with the issues it has. I don't know anyone I'd vote for right now. Most are working at other jobs. This doesn't mean some of our MC aren't good people. And I think some are doing all they know. Others are just lazy. They know they aren't reporting to us anything,.nor are they keeping any records on the mineral web site. Why are we paying for this treatment? Is it law we have to have 8 members? They won't read this blog either, I've ask, like they don.t want to know..........
To all the Producers in Osage County please post on this site...the only way the Shareholders are going to hear about the Truth of the matter is by one paticular Producer, Mr.Revard. This BLOG and if it was not for his postings, that had changed my opinion on the matter..though I do believe any and all equipment should be updated to the 21st Century, these CFR's need to be restored. Mr. Revard thank you ever so much for bringing the Shareholders up to speed in communication and transperency on the matter. I hope you continue once we get over this huge tangled web that we can once tangle, dance again in harmony. It is my Opinion this is and was by all means no accident. How and what this is is a huge bureaucratic mess, from a shareholders perspective, the failure, the conflict of interest to the unethical behavior and the list can go on, astounds.I can say this much and for all appearances this wreaks Corruption on so many levels..starting with the BIA, they are not equipped, many inefficiencies existed before hand not to mention the many redundancies that exists, to litlle structure. This Estate is huge and it takes more than a handful of employee's. Reaity, is 2 mo's out and peoples front in are being affected from that end as well at the Pawhuska office, .no one wants to talk the truth to the tune of failure, do they enjoy the drama? I have ran many Businesses in my day and might you know how successful. I again will say where is the representation for the Shareholders? Is it going to be Mr.Revard? Please continue to post, you are welcomed. Someone does not want the Shareholders to know how dirty this is and someones hands are nee deep in sh. It. And the only one who has kept us in the Know it happens to be the Producer Mr. Revard and I am greatly appreciated now this is communication with a Producer on a level our M.C in the real world should be having..had we a compliance office, a legal dept, an advertising dept we would be in a much better, mapping dept, in place. Time for the M.C to get off their lazy boy chair and clean the wax out of their ears because this Shareholder means what I say you all can and will be replaced after said and done. Life is quite 10%, 90%is what you do.
To Poster,9:10 am, it is not so much that they are not good people in as much as who and what they are defined by action...and complicity by just being apart of, has not faired our M.E. or the Shareholder's. In some respect with no disrespect to our elders and the 31st Council, we have been sliding on a sliding scale in the downward spiral since we became a Government, This I know for sure, this Government for the people not so much. And the Fingers by and by the Constituency are all pointing back at you. Now this tug of war is not working...I have been watching how the Politics of our Osage Tribe from as far back as I can and it has not weathered well with our Tribe. With the Chief wanting to work independently to produce oil a huge Conflict of Interest, unless he comes to the Table to negotiate and that has not happened. .give the Shareholder's a Percentage, just maybe a partner ship can develop. .just saying this is how you do business in the real world...other wise suits will be filed for unethical behavior. So when I say to my elders and I have not heard from one outside of Redcorn who said all it took was one phone call to begin this Government, I say where wa X my phone call to protest!
I respectfully disagree with your statement about the Nation undertaking the task of building an Oil & Gas E&P company. This is years and years over due. As far as the Chief communicating with the MC or Shareholders, he has attempted to do so but the MC refuses to allow any conversation with him or his office. If the Nation enters into the business the Shareholders will get their 20% royalties like always for doing nothing and but feeling entitled. The fact is the Headeights and Shareholders for years have devided the Nation with their better than the rest mind set and have NEVER invested a dime back into the Mineral Estate. I for one back the Chief 100% and pray that he does start a Exploration Production company because it might be the only thing that safes the ME from being take over by the Feds. Lord knows the MC doesnt not have the talent to produce one drop of oil on their own. Nor do they have the desire to. Its easier to collect that mailbox money. It will run out one day my friends. Then what?
I have been against the Negregs since I first read them,,,Not all, BUT the ridiculous Penalties...Some were good but.. Yes I did not go to the meetings when they we having them because I am not trained in Oil Producing and I felt the Council and the Producers were the ones to negotiate them. I have gone to the Shareholders Association, which have had many very good speakers to warn us of them and to tell us that what was going to happen...And it has. I have written letters to Sally Jewell, Jim Inhoff , Mr Lankford and many others, I have taken letters to fellow Shareholders to get them to send them to the powers that be... What else can I go? Together we stand alone we may fall....Oh yes, so many just want to receive their money...and so what? You had better wake up and help...at least send letters. I believe that Mr Inhoff and Lankford are in our corner and will help..I have run businesses for 50 years and saw the dangers and protested at the Council meetings and in person. They certainly see that we are having unfair practices bestowed on us! Come to Shareholder Association meetings and find out what is going on Third Sunday of August at Dave Landrum at 1:00 Potluck!. It is for your interest. What are you doing to help?
James, you should know of all people that the oil and gas business is terribly hard and very difficult to turn a buck. What I'm beginning to smell is a whole bunch of oil and gas related people who are already lining up for a paycheck from the Osage Nation, if and when it goes into the oil business one day. Just because you want what you want when you want it doesn't make it feasible to enter into a business with government money on the line that is so high risk and with such a high failure rate. Osage Chief Tillman did it in the very recent past and he failed. Just because the Southern Utes do what they do has nothing to do with us. One of our biggest obsessions in the new government is feeling that we must compete with nearly every Indian Tribe on the planet. In some ways, this has been good but in almost all others it has been a disaster. We wanted to compete with Ho-Chunk, Inc and so we hired Lance Morgan (Harvard Man) to put it together for us and we proceeded to lose more money in entirely than it took to build one of our Casinos all in. In fact, just to suggest that we do so makes me question your judgement overall. The Osage Nation has failed at everything they've set out to do other than gaming where you almost can't fail unless you're just too dumb to be believed.
When Tillman attempted to enter into the oil industry they did so with just one well and no personnel with oil industry experience and knowldge. You have to hire talented people and pay them the industry standard. Its either attempt it or sit back and watch more Osage oil and gas being produced by non Indians. I just believe its best to control your own destiny.
I for one have no problem if the Nation wants to lose money in the oil business. Makes no difference if they lose our money in construction, lose our money in development, lose our money security, lose our money in high risk junk loans, or lose our money in oil. Here is the one caveat to the foregoing statement; if the Nation wants to get in the oil business they should get no special market advantages, privileges, rates, or concessions at the shareholders expense. If they think they can somehow muster the brain cells it takes to run a successful business be it in oil, or anything else, they should have to play by the same rules as everyone else in the game.
The minute a ONES oil company drives away competition do to some contrived "Osage advantage" is the minute the shareholders begin to lose out.
Try and think outside the box, in auch bigger way. There is an opportunity to educate and employee lots of Osages with white collar and blue collar jobs. The Nation should offer full ride scholarships to any Osage student with a 2.0 or above grade point to go to an Okla college as long as its a oil and gas related field such as engineering, geology, oil and gas law etc. Also pay for other Osages to be trianed at High Plains Tech center on how to work on deilling rigs, service rigs etc. Within a 5 to 6 yr time frame there could be a 80% Osage oil company and possibly Osage drilling and service companies. Yes its high risk but what industy doesnt have risk involved? I would not suggest that the Nations oil company get any special treatment.
If you sit back and do nothing then all that you get is your 20% roylties and depend on mon Osages to grow the mineral estate and production rates.
As I said in all sincerity, it makes no difference to me if they want to get into the oil business. Great, go for it. But they are not entitled to and should not receive any special market advantage, privileges, rates, or concessions at the shareholders expense. That includes not using TERA in a way that drives competition out of the Osage. That includes not taking ownership of producers equipment should the superintendent terminate a lease as was suggested by the contested CFRs.
To me all this begs the question, if they aren't going to use some market advantage to drive out other producers, aren't going to produce at a lower cost than the competition then how exactly is it smart money to be getting into oil? If preferential treatment, unfair or unethical advantage is off the table is the Nation's venture into oil supposed to be an altruistic overture to the shareholders?
There's over 1700 non-Osage Shareholders , maybe half with sons and daughters, or grandchildren that has graduated from Colleges and have been earning degrees in many of the fields that you have mention. I , have had a Grandson graduate from a UT university with a degree in environmental Earth structure, still taking advance classes. So, expand your thoughts just a little bit for there's some others that are preparing them selves. H
Since the discussion is about developing the ME and growing production, by what virtue will the brain trust at the ONES be able to look at a lease and say, "It's profitable to produce," where all other long experienced oil men have looked at it said and agreed, "It's not worth the cost of production"? I don't see how they can do that without some special market advantage. It doesn't make since.
I happen to agree with All of Posters comments at 1:43 pm, not the Ute way , The Osage way, so disingenuous of the Nation to think other wise. Power is only if you give it away..long over due should our infrastructure grow. And like minded people needed in the most urgent way..Long live the but not forgot the Osage Tribe now the Nation. And forever hold your piece, long live the 1906 ACT as amended.
"There's over 1700[0] non-Osage Shareholders ...children that has graduated from Colleges ...earning degrees in many of the fields that you have mention. ...So, expand your thoughts just a little bit for there's some others that are preparing them selves."
That is great. If the Nation can make a go of the oil business without special market advantage, more power to everybody. What needs to be guarded against is the Nation using loopholes, special favor, some kind of coercion that drives out competition or cost the shareholders. It's not the shareholders responsibility directly or indirectly pay for the employment of someone just because they graduated college.
If the Nation can do this and be profitable without some back door shenanigans, great. However I think the previously posted questions needs thoughtful consideration and an exhaustive answer. first
What I find concerning and interest in about your comments is that it would lead one to believe that Osages are dumb, dishonest, some type of criminal and incapable of running a business. To answer that I refer you to my comment about providing scholarships to educate and train our Osage people. The other thing that's alarming but not surprising is that your comments reek of greed by the shareholders. You don't care what happens as long as it does not affect their shareholders and their checks. This is why there is division within our tribe. The shareholders are greedy about their head right money that they did not earn they just inherited because their grandparent or great grandparents are on the roll. No different than how I ended up with a headright. It wasnt earned its a gift that our parents tought us not to depend on. However the most alarming point is that you don't see the opportunity to help advance all of the Osage people by providing them education and job opportunity.
"lead one to believe that Osages are dumb, dishonest, some type of criminal and incapable of running a business." I refer you to the Osage LLCs theft and loses ($20,000,000.00), casinos that have a 1/3 cost overrun ($30,000,000.00), the Pawhuska casino theft ($800,000.00), the Skiatook sub-division development with new roads that have to be replaced ($$$), building houses that no one knows if they are going to rent them or sale them. No greater return from our investment in our casinos since they day they opened... and so on and so forth.
Osages are talented, smart, resourceful and dedicated. But that thing on the hill, the government, that's a government. A seemly inept one. It is a thing, an ill-conceived, poorly managed thing. I do not believe or think it reflects on our abilities as human beings. I've seen to many Osages achieve greatness to believe that.
Hold up. We aren't talking about scholarships or education. We are talking about a business venture. A venture that should serve more function that giving someone a job. It should be profitable. We should strive for more than welfare employment.
It is absolutely necessary that profit be considered. Is this not a business venture? Or is this only to be some on the job training program for our people before the head off to Exxon? How long can we afford to employee people who do nothing other than fill a chair. Doesn't that kind of waste cost the person who wants to go to school for something other than oil and gas?
I realize this may be novel to us at this point but if we have business ventures that are there to turn a profit, rather than simply give someones cousin a job, there will be more money for growth and investment and the betterment and preservation of our people. ...such radical ideas, I know.
"The shareholders are greedy about their head right money that they did not earn they just inherited..." On behalf of the shareholders I apologize for inheriting something and wanting to hold onto it. Let see my family didn't run out and sell their land the minute allotment passed. Do you think I should donate some of that to the Nation as well. After all, it is inherited and it's not befitting your kids. Get serious.
As to the evil greed of the shareholders; who got me ready to dance, it wasn't the Nation it was several shareholders. Who paid for the drum, it wasn't the Nation, it was a group of shareholders and non-shareholder. Who helped support me when I was just starting out, again it wasn't the Nation ...shareholders. Who sent me to school, not the Nation it was a shareholder. I have seen more shareholders give more freely to more people than I care to or could count. There is a big difference between someone giving and the Nation taking on someones behalf.
James, if you are going to dispense advice, perhaps you should try and get up to speed. The recent edition of the Osage News arrived just the other day with a full center page of most, but not all of the Osage graduates who have received the higher education scholarship from the Osage Nation. The number for 2015 is more than 162.
I'm not going to apologize to anyone for anything, nor am I going to be roughed up when I tell you that I don't want a bunch of non-professionals out there in the oilfield screwing everything up from hell to breakfast like they have with everything else they've been involved in since this crazy government took over from the more sane and sensible one we had in there before.
Right it wasn't the Nation that paid for my education, or into my retirement fund...those that left the Tribe for a Higher Education..It is my inherent right to protect what my Grandmother who said this day will come and here we are and I am here for the long run.This is a de facto Gov. Built on lies..there is nothing binding in Osage County where one can make a decent living. Have looked around lately in our Communities? Culture shock with one huge Pagoda of an eye sore..a Arbor that was in my opinion way over built..parks and Airparks we are just beginning to collect leese money...The Whole Chief scandal "Red Eagle ". I mean the Laundry list is huge. And now the M.E..
I hear these guys are going to be on the team for ONES, LLC: https://www.facebook.com/BlueStarStudioInc/photos/a.572150899516323.1073741828.518242401573840/874087545989322/?type=1&theater
I just looked at their fb page and kept scrolling down. I found this too:
"Once and a while there are those who may doubt our small architecture and planning team's effort in the rural, small town, tribal and disadvantaged communities we serve with a passion. We are fighting the good fight and we have a simple response. :-)
"GO AHEAD. WE'RE STILL HUSTLING."
Hustlers? So the free-for-all is going to continue?
James, is this what the ONES, LLC is up to? Isn't that Jon Red Corn, Raymond Red Corn's son? If you're advocating for this crap to start happening with the OME, it's best you leave quietly and soon.
I don't know for sure but I think they may be part of the group that's supposed to come up with a plan for the oil biz. How they're going to do that with no oilfield experience, I don't know.
Otherwise known as the Osage Pile On. All over your headright income with new Osage gov. bureaucracies sprouting up all over the place. One thing they will need to do is establish within the Osage Nation Treasury is a permanent fund for fines from the BIA so they don't end up bleeding the Osage Nation government dry by transferring all the money in it to the Federal government because of fines for screwups out in the oilfield.
Here here. I agree with poster @ 4:29 pm. considering the History and the tale spin we are in deep enough we dont need to add to the mix this conflict Ones.
"You have to hire talented people and pay them the industry standard. " You need more than talent. You need education, background, experience and know how. In other words, you need to know what you're doing. Why is it that when the Nation wants to develop anything new they always speak of hiring talented people. The world is filled with talented people. What you must concentrate on is hiring those with the very best chance of making the effort a success. Success in the oil business means you generate a profit and you need to hire those who have a proven track record of success on this basis who have run a successful oil and gas business in the past. You also must hire employees who are willing to work 90 to 100 hours a week in order to get it off the ground. If you don't have that kind of employment pool with true professionals or those who are willing and able to work hard and learn then you shouldn't even think of going into the oil and gas business. You should leave it to the professionals who know what they are doing.
See Osage Nation prays for the end of wind developments at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/osage-nation-prays-for-the-end-of-wind-developments/article_278a9e60-9446-5451-aec3-4610c11fc4fa.html?mode=image&photo=1
All I can say is restitution better be long and forth coming and it begins today, how long the Damage is felt through oil country is beyond comparison. The oil industry is a community. I am sick to my stomach..where is the Press Release to the Shareholder's the M.C failed to represent the Shareholder's.? Chief?
Tell us exactly and in detail how you feel the Mineral Council isn't representing your interest. Which members of the Minerals Council are you referring to and tell us what they're doing or not doing that you think isn't good? Making a blanket inditement over and over again isn't helpful in understanding what needs to be set right.
Here goes another one: New Western Energy Terminates Letter of Intent to Acquire Oil and Gas Leases in Osage County, Oklahoma - http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/05/29/740593/10136597/en/New-Western-Energy-Terminates-Letter-of-Intent-to-Acquire-Oil-and-Gas-Leases-in-Osage-County-Oklahoma.html
The new cfrs were posted on May 11, 2015, and the proposed version was posted months before that. If the new regs were the problem, why has Western Energy not terminated their letter of intent before now? Why was it even issued in the first place? Who was this letter of intent filed with? Was it with the security and exchange commission or was it with the BIA? When was it filed? The Donelson lawsuit is the huge black cloud hanging over our mineral estate, and it has been since it was filed. Not the cfrs. Donelson clouds ownership of the title to every lease in the county. Our MC should have filed a friend of the court document in the Donelson case a year ago, explaining to the judge the problems it is causing the shareholders by shutting down development of the mineral estate. Right now, Donelson seems to be stalled in the federal court system, with no further action scheduled that we know of. The MC must get off their duffs and do something about this.
I am glad the someone else is seeing the forest for the trees, because the BIA combined with the M.C are soooooo accountable, all the way up to the upper echelon at the DOI. Where is Vince Logans opinon? Oh the M.C is arm chair coaching...alright..replace them soon couldn't be clear..didn't I say earlier watch the finger pointing to begin..it has begun.
Moreover, Gentner Drummond has filed an appeal on the programmatic workover EA that the BIA was creating for the Mineral Estate's benefit. As a result, workover permits are still not being issued. Gentner now has the Mineral Estate tied in knots on 2 fronts - the Donelson lawsuit and now the workover EA. Anybody for a lynchin'?
I thought none of this has to be decided until the lawsuit has settled in court. The BIA should be able to continue with all permits until the final gavel is rapped. The BIA didn't start handing out the money before the HPP lawsuit was settled. What is this? Their attitude should be, "So noted." and move on with the day to day. We can't advocate for violence here but we understand the level of frustration.
Nothing stopping you from picketing out front and down the street of that other drummonds place of business with the cooking show. Get up some gumption and guts and start raising awareness will you? NAACP would have been up in arms and all over this to make sure it got national news while you guys sit there and pick up a new bag of chips.
I'm sure the Lynchin starts at home, of course it is a figure of speach...From the M.C to the Chief to the BIA to the DOI pass one around should they fall 99 billon should settle this all.
Gentner Drummond is listed as a DIRECTOR & EXECUTIVE OFFICER of CitizensBank in Tulsa, Pawhuska and Cleveland Oklahoma. Picket there too in all locations. I wouldn't put or leave my money in any bank with someone who is a Director or an Executive Officer who is this reckless where the predominate business of an entire county is so negatively impacted as a direct result of their actions in or out of Court. I would move all my money away to another financial institution as soon as humanly possible. That's what I would do and I wouldn't have to think twice about it. https://www.cboktulsa.com/directors-executive-officers.htm
I couldn't agree more..Im not home to picket because i would stand proud you guys back home have to walk the talk and represent what is near and dear to the lively hood the fabric of who we are as a people. these work over permits is paramount to maintaining production and some major..so why would the BIAis withhold the workover permit for what reason till the case is settled? This is all going to blow up in the face of the M.E should no other outcome be as settled by the HPP. Whos protecting the Interst at the highlest level and should be Shame on the BIA on all levels.
When you view this in totality, alot of entities are furious with the BIA. Mr. Drummond seeing from his perspective has a vested interest and the Domino effect is having on his Banks. Everyone who has ties to the Estate via one way or another are in the same boat. Look from with in not everyone is your enemy.The BIA holds the trust and once again they will not be able to speak of because the fire storm of evidence surmounting.
Gentner Drummond is also the largest franchisee of U.S. Cellular phones. Any store in NE Oklahoma most likely belongs to Gentner. If you have a US Cellular phone, trade it in.
More places to stop doing business with --->>> http://www.tulsapeople.com/Tulsa-People/July-2015/Gentner-F-Drummond/ https://www.linkedin.com/pub/gentner-f-drummond/36/496/7b1
I still will hold my reservations about Mr.Drummomd. Had we a dialog with the Ranchers on some heavy topics I would be inclined now to to listen..hes a Business man and so should lthe M.C behave in the same manor not everyone is threat. There are two sides folks..He's been here and seen it all..for a very long time snd I got a pretty good idea he can read between the lines. And I'm sure he can give a few good tips not what to do..It would be interesting if he should post on this site. I'm pretty sure he wants us to be successful because that means his banks are successful.
Chief Standingbear has decided to charge the shareholders for certain functions that have been performed free of charge in the past. Accounting pays our bills, the IT dept. provides technical computer support and the janitor provides cleaning services.
Beginning October 1 the shareholders will be charged for these services and others unless we contract these ourselves.
*************************************************************************************************************************************** The shareholders were never compensated for the properties that were theirs. The Osage Nation should pay the shareholders rent for using all properties that are rightfully properties of the shareholders.
I agree. It was a hostile takeover by the Osage Nation government of trust property in control of and administered by the Minerals Council. Reparations should be in order for every building the Council oversaw and used for minerals business from the very beginning. This should recapture any casino taken into trust by the Federal government. Seek a determination by the BIA in their court first and go from there. I am dead tired of all these takings.
A few years ago Congressman Raymond Redcorn wanted to tax the M.E. and now Standingbear wants to charge the Shareholders for services? I’m not surprised. The ONG wants to obtain the M.E. revenue one way or another.
The ONG is losing money through fraud, waste and abuse. The Casinos revenue is the ONG’s piggy bank to raid for political and personal gain to benefit particular Osages. But the piggy bank is running dry and the M.E. is targeted to be the insurance policy to buffer and support this soon to fail debacle of an Indian government.
As I said before, the ONG is a bureaucracy merely for the sake of bureaucracy. It will consume everything in its path to control all things Osage. The people who created this government have become very wealthy at the expense of the Shareholders and Osages in general and those running this government is ruining what insignificant reputation the Osages have with other capital enterprises, the general public, and other governments.
As usual per the typical attacks, there are people on this blog who are calling the Shareholders greedy, lazy, and paranoid. Yeah, we heard it all before in the previous Shareholder blog when Chief Gray was holding his illegal election to enact this de facto government. We tried to warn everyone that this disgraceful act of tyranny was going to happen. But we were met with accusations and disdain and some of us were called some very nasty names for trying to protect the M.E. from the ONG.
The 1906 Act is still the law. It still trumps any tribal law. The issue is that the ONG and the BIA merely ignore this inconvenient truth in order to overthrow the Shareholders once and for all. The Shareholders can and eventually will prevail but there are three or more M.E. Council members and certain ONG politicians who are committed to conquering the Shareholders rights and then handing the M.E. over to the ONG. I’m not sure what these people are getting paid for their treachery but their common sense and reputations mean nothing to them.
This is no surprise and I think it's just the first shot being leveled at the shareholders assets. It's going to start with this, charges for service, next will be fees on every aspect of conduct of our business both for annuitants and producers, and finally there will be a personal tribal income tax on our headright income.
I've got to say, that other than the interest on headright money, it's exempt by law from Federal taxation. The Osage Constitution prevents any law from being enacted that conflicts with Federal law so the Osage Nation therefore can't enact laws that make headright income subject to taxation and this will be true as long as the OME income trust continues forward intact and as is. If the State of Oklahoma comes in to begin governance and the trust is terminated then it will be another story all together. From what is being posted on another informative facebook page, the Chief has written that he is headed to Washington D.C. to head off a challenge put forward by the State of Oklahoma. Where it gets sticky is the oil and gas producers are in a fight for their lives and they are not going to take his lying down. From what I am hearing now, first worse case is the Osage Nation running the Minerals Estate under some kind of compact or forming a series of corporations or LLCs like the Utes. First worse case is intolerable from their point of view because of our business track record. Second worse case is having to try to operate under the new CFRs and continue on with the BIA under the new set of regulations (CFRs, NEPA, Fish and Wildlife) that they believe will put them out of business, if not now, eventually. I believe the Chief made a terrible misstep when he clarioned it out that he and the Nation were going to develop the Mineral Estate that looked to many Headright owners like he was initiating the final phase of the plan for a hostile takeover of the Minerals Estate and to crush the Minerals Agency and the Minerals Council right along with it despite the separation of the MA and MC in the Osage Constitution. This belief has been furthered in the last year by the harassing lawsuits that he has been reported to be be behind against the members of the Minerals Council filed by the AG much the same as Chief Gray did with the Osage Congress when he as in office to try to bring them to heel. This has frightened everyone and thrown the oil and gas producers back in the camp of the State of Oklahoma. He's going to to Washington on Sunday to try and sort this out. We have begged, pleaded, cajoled, jumped up and down and eventually screamed bloody murder at the Osage Nation government to clean up their act and stop acting like juveniles 3/4rs of the time with the way they spend money, grow the government, invest in diversification of our gaming proceeds along with other sources of revenue and to hold people accountable for the wrong they do. No one in the working world would ever want a government organization to govern our OME that has manifested itself the way these goverment Osages have run our new democracy with all warnings, pleadings and everything else that has been ignored because many of us who have become members are not "insiders" and not "real Osages." Now, as a result, their folly has finally come home to roost. I hope the Chief can save the day because of all of the changes he's made but he will have to knuckle down and get this new government to start behaving like a real one and not some kind of parlor game.
Leadership starts with the M.C, the Chief, did he go with Waller in tandum to show unity, cohesiveness a party to a concensus that could possibly show or formulate in the near future? If not the Chief has mud on his face..the 1906 Act requires 8 council memebers, did not one member or was not one member asked to attend in Washington? Other than a politician going to Washington has a Shareholder gone to Washington to share the other Voice from their perspective? Ah, I think and hope SENATOR Imhof, I hope he is reading all these comments..The moment we became a Nation is when the Corruption started..its hard to look at it..60,000000 that we know about is gone, to the competive laws broken, to the five man board, to the x Chief RedEagle, over build of the Casinos, to the loss of the Osage LLC to an an Airpark and Recreational Park that are just money pits..Who did the diligence? And who was responsible, the Executive? To think I wanted to go into the video business with the Osage..now disolved..Had all my ducks lined up even was going to take to another step including dog patrol, to armored cars...Hollywood lined up..and then some. Office aligned, proxy reports and then some...I even was getting a contract with foot patrol as well...to find out it was corrupted. Now you know why there is Great harm brought to the Estate and to our Tribe...now you know why Western Energy Bailed for more than one reason. Nobody mining the Camp sorta speak. No leadership. Just an observation. I'm glad I didn't get in bed with the Enemy and I am Osage..My profits would have come back to you, not this bloated Government of no accountability. Just my observation.
After reading this comments on facebook ,it was hard to greet this new day.while the inter-fighting among the Osage continue,forces move against the Osage.How bad the conditions are,is not known,but our Chief is not just standing around it seems.For a few decades,I have watched him from afar and truly believe today,he is the best Osage we have to carry our Great Osage Seal.
No disrespect sir, but I have studied the Politics of our Tribe and since we became a Nation, its like the black plague has shattered our way as a Indian Tribe of builders, lost the ties of communication in translation, we have become a Lawyer Nation. Many as My self realize that after we lost the Reservation case which should be re-visited, because in every text book in America just about disputes the Court of opinion. I know for a fact not everyone (Shareholder's ) like myself did not get a chance to vote for this New Nation. At the time when we became a Nation I had inquired, how did this happen? Everyone was notified or got there ballet thru the Osage News..I didn't subscribe. No accident there In any event at all costs a Phone call and letter head should have been sent in tandum, this did not happen. So, I said this can't be all abd because that Per-Cap can go out to our people and there will be accountability. I asked Chief Gray personally, Chief how about that Per-Cap, smiles said when Government gets organized. ..Really? Do I look like I have stupid written on my forehead? That meant never..Here comes Government bloat, here comes spending, fruad without the harsh punishment because of the cronyism is knee deep..This Government of people are caught in a tale spin of corruption happening before their faces and all the can say is lets be diligent because we don't want the sane thing to happen again as in the OLLc with really not holding themselves accountable. And worse of all, they are Osage..Let me tell you a Story, Short..we as a Shareholder and a few, including a Chief..the Discussion, The original plan, was to share a Per-Cap by the development of the Casinos. Because the asset of the M.E which helped develope the "Casino's ", we could not share by design, but the asset could be shared with other Osages..Membership at the time was in the what 5000 or so..correct me if I am wrong on that..it was to be used to develop not create a Government of wealth..Many are disappointed and now the call to do is right is falling on deaf ears...we have the resources. So John if you have a better solution. I want to hear it? I am accountant my ties are as deep as they can be with our Tribe, The Osage..would my vote made a difference, you bet it would have, but I do not know for sure, but we will never know for sure because that choice was taken away with that one Phone call ,right Redcorn.It is my belief the Elders and I had one heavy influence in my life was my Grandmother and she hated the Government, the one thing we became, so you tell me some truths.I just did. I'm not one to point the finger, it is not our way or my way, anybody who knows me Iiwalk the truth and I would give the shirt off my back..just don't lie. I'll walk away. My Grandmother I gaurd her words as much as my fathers..
Just what is says. The U.S. Congress has the plenary power over the Native American Tribes and if the DOI/BIA can't get it together to run things properly, they don't want to have to be subject to more lawsuits and settlement payouts because of continued violations of the fiduciary trust relationship on the part of the U.S. Executive Branch.
We don't want privacy protected personal information like that posted here. Our Blog, our rules. It's dangerous to post information like that when identity theft is so prevalent coming from the internet as is without putting it out there to the entire world.
Shane Madson with the Osage Producers Association categorically denied that the OPA is involved with trying to get the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to run things in Osage County. He was asked to put that in writing and he said he would do so, if I heard him correctly. So much background noise and everyone talking over everyone makes it very hard to hear what is going on in the meeting.
Thanks for clarifying. I'm surprised he personally appeared before the MC just to state that information. If the MC wanted to know they could have just called him on the phone.
Obviously it must be people who belong to this organization who are acting alone. We might not be getting the full story on the Washington D.C. trip from the Chief who has wanted to put in a Federally Chartered Corporation that may be able to compact the Mineral Estate and maybe he's still carrying on about that which would involve the ONES, LLC. This thing is getting as hot as Havana before Castro took over. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Headright owners are sitting around twisting their hankies like it's an Osage version of Anton Chekhov's, "The Cherry Orchard" and the axe is about to fall.
The one thing that will stand in the Chief's way for any plans of a Federally Chartered Corporation is that the Osage are not eligible. You can read the Indian Reorganization Act and the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act to see the provisions for forming such corporations and the list of excluded tribes, which includes the Osage.
Thank you. This is good information. I remember that there was some talk about a public trust when Hepsi and the OGRC were working on the Constitution. Is this a possibility and if so, how would that work if you know? Some people will get after me about exploring these options but I think forewarned is forearmed. We don't want any surprises with the Osage Nation coming forward apologetically to the shareholders with negative information about the future of the M.E.Trust at some point and then dropping a bomb, figuratively speaking, right in our midst.
What I think is to have a healthy attitude of skepticism, and try not to assume..we do know this much we are What I believe to be armed with some really good Policies to protect..and knowledge is Power..and the Nation if the Nation suggests or winks another eye our way, my hope is they come to the table..bring suggestions as opposed to working i directly a huge mistake and conflict of interest. Their is enougn of us that will challenge and fight the good fight to protect and are willing to battle this if it takes years..hope not we don not have to take this path...so nice to hear that they the Nation caanot hold a Federal Charter.
Must forgive me a bit today.My mom's little one passed away this morning and I've just finished laying him to rest among the others who have been a part of our lives.Coming home from the vet before the beginning of a new Osage day,I read the above post concerning commits of the Chief on facebook,so it was very hard to greet the new Osage day,both had the same effect.Quoting a membership number was just that,way over 19,000 have been granted membership out of over 26,000.That proves how concerned Osage are.
And writing of Cuba, I spoke with Eddy Red Eagle recently about the opening up of Cuba and that it may provide a unique investment opportunity for those with gaming experience. I bought an extremely well written and fascinating book on the subject, "Havana Nocturne" that read like gangbusters, in fact, it's about Meyer Lansky and the Mob and how it owned Cuba and lost it to Revolution. Surprisingly enough, (and tell me the timing on this isn't weird) Fidel Castro has a history with Native American Tribes going way back into the early 1960's as featured by this article, "When Mad Bear Met Fidel: How Castro’s Cuba Advanced Native Sovereignty." Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/14/when-mad-bear-met-fidel-how-castros-cuba-advanced-native-sovereignty-161064 American owned Corporations may have a difficult time going into Cuba because the public is still so divided on this issue. This likely won't be the same for Native American Sovereign Nations and Tribes. Havana was the playground of the rich and famous and was destined to become the most fabulous resort island in the Caribbean Antilles. It's reputation has now reached mythic proportions and there are those in this world who would love to see it restored to its former glory. It has been featured in films like "The Godfather II," "Havana," and "The Lost City." "Havana" is not a great film even though it's got a laundry list of superb actors. All the same, for some reason it's still one of my favorites. It has a "Casablanca" type of plot and it's set against the backdrop of the last week or so before the fall of Cuba to Fidel and the abdication of Fulgencio Batista. It also has the benefit of having my very favorite lines in a movie: "There's nothing like a woman...they love men. Even jerks. The biggest jerk you ever knew somehow has a woman that's nuts over him. Women are perfect. The rest...is bullshit." If Raul and Fidel Castro are game to get back into that high roller world again, big money will be made for a chosen few who are there to get them back in the Casino business...
Building and using Foreign Trade Zones are a Osage option.Just one thought is Placing the OME into a FTZ status,how this would change current conditions concerning just oil and gas production and possible processing.Osage sovereignty and FTZ sovereignty is much alike and can be refined to work together most profitably. accountability and transparency is mandatory in any FTZ
As US energy output surges, efforts to lift decades-old oil export ban of the 1970's is close to becoming a reality. And I look at our reality and I ask where are we at, I ask why we are where we are at? And the reality is, Much to do with the North Dakota "Baken" is a good reality..our reality :( Had we had A full running Petroleum Office , I kid you not if we were staffed with a Legal Dept..to handle damge control, because I kid tou not, the Energy Sector by all means is a close community. The worse you can do is to say nothing and hpoe for the best outcome...
I just checked out a FB site and the Chief is acting like he's lost his mind, calling for everyone to start thinking about suing one another but who specifically, he does not say, asking people what the Minerals Councils legal plans are if the legal action in Federal Court when he knows that the their attorney has the MC to remain silent and not discuss any of the plans or future plans legally. He's acting like a loose cannon out there who has completely lost control of the situation and of himself. This is entirely inappropriate behavior on his part and he must desist with it immediately and get himself back in hand, This frightening behavior feeds right into the need for a choice for the US Congress to make changes to the trust on behalf of the entire County before it all goes out of control. This is uncalled for and must stop right now for the sake of all Osages who have a headright interest. I am dumbfounded that he is even capable of this kind of intemperate behavior in his official capacity of the Chief of the Osage Nation.
This cannot continue. For the sake of everyone and every single party and person involved, we must get the Chief and the MC into professional arbitration as soon as possible before the Osage income trust is destroyed forever.
This Chief is very sane. It is the Osage County Cattlemans' Assoc. and the Osage Producers' Assoc. who have led the MC right into the predictiment we are in. And now the MC will have to admit they were wrong if they were to try to fix anything. Think they will do that? Hardly. We had better wish the Chief good luck and say some prayers for him. If he can't turn Inhofe and Lankford around, they will break the Trust and we will lose our Mineral Estate. That's exactly what the OCCA and the OPA are hoping for. Wake up!
The hearing for the two lawsuits scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed until August 10, 2015. In the meantime the new CFR's will not become effective until after the August 10th date. I'm sure the Osageblogger will be posting the details and links to the court filings soon.
ReplyDeleteWOO HOO! FANTASTIC NEWS! Word has come down that a stay has been issued and in effect by the Federal Court in Tulsa with a hearing postponement until August 10, 2015 !!! !!! !!!
DeleteTo download the Court's Minute Order for postponement of tomorrow's hearing see https://www.facebook.com/groups/234024393278360/
DeleteSee Federal judge postpones implementation of new oil-field regulations in Osage County at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/courts/federal-judge-postpones-implementation-of-new-oil-field-regulations-in/article_b30db97c-7371-5388-9659-7a2d915d7f29.html
DeleteFor future reference: Hearings & Meetings of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs at http://www.indian.senate.gov/hearings
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting: Update; "Vince Logan (Osage) will not appear at the hearing as originally announced by the committee." See "Witness list for Senate Indian Affairs Committee trust reform hearing" at http://indianz.com/News/2015/018087.asp
DeleteAt Indianz.com,is some articles on this horror: Editorial: Osage Nation loses out, 7-6, close to bottom of page. Then on that article I liked the Editorial from Oklahoman news paper, 7-5, that really tells a lot. Also at the top of Indianz.com, talks about Vince Logan no show and OST @ Senate hearing. Get aot from newsok.com on energy. Much going on here with the oil and gas. Personally I think the chief wants control and the hell with what the shareholders and MC want to do!!!
DeleteI see says the blind man, not blind at all, its not as if this wasn't talked about years ago...we will throw him to the curb if he fells to represent. He knows this. Do we have another Chief who is in bed with the enemy or is he the enemy from with in? However, it will be done.
DeleteOne thing is for sure, How is the Trust Management working from all sides of this matter? This forum would be an example not what to do. Should this spread like a wild fire across Indian Coubtry...hear our story and a Lesson learned.
DeleteOops fails
DeleteMaybe the chief has the BIA in his pocket. He's just too cool about all this and too quiet. He has said the BIA only looks at the new constitution, not the 1906. We may have to as shareholders to take him to the courts. Since there seems no clear meaning who has legal say of the trust.
DeleteFederal trumps..in other words we have a Constitution that means nothing to the Federal Government when in fact holding up the law. They hold in trust our Multi-Billion M.E...the 1906 act is intact...as much as the Nation would like to take Control will not happen by any Standard and because the O.N Constitution gives the Superior power to Govern.by the M.C and the Chief knows this...it will take one phone call to bring this to an End. I believe there are whistle blowers...this situation with DOI and BIA lack of ability to get thing under control at a Administrative level has created a environment of failure from the get go. Incompetency at this level is almost unheard of and no longer can be used as an excuse for what is happening still to this day. The Federal Government needs to look at the OSAGE. Thats all I am saying for the time being...or call this a gut feeling.
DeleteWhat we do know, before our very eyes, as someone said it is not the Osage way to point the finger, and look at where we are today? Next you will hear thers enough blame to go around as the feet drag. The Five Man Board, the OLLC Board, the Commissioning Board, to the Congressional body all who played a role in losing millions and what will be the end result..1. Excuse we did not make the dead lines...2. Proper policies to protect were not in place. 3.I take the 5th. Yes Chief this all reflects on you..all eyes are waiting to hear from our leader in Chief. How funny, everyone is watching Obama at this very moment leading badly in the Pols. The irony.
DeleteOsage County feeling pinch of administration's anti-fossil fuel mindset:
Deletehttp://newsok.com/osage-county-feeling-pinch-of-administrations-anti-fossil-fuel-mindset/article/5431398/?page=2
From the O/G Producers point of view:
Deletehttp://examiner-enterprise.com/news/local-news/osage-oil-gas-fight-survival
Just sos everybodies on the same page, the BHT is going to be out today Thurs. with the lead article Producers Have 'Till August 10 and in there it has this, "...although it is unclear whether the Minerals Council has the authority to sue on its own behalf." I went back and found part of this comment to put up here again:
ReplyDeleteThen the Mineral Council, minus the votes of both Crum and Yates despite the fact that these two should be able to see by now that things are spiraling wildly out of control with these new CFRs and a ton of other regulations the BIA is starting to roll out, vote to sue the BIA and the Chief stands down even though he could put in a legal action for an injunction on behalf of the Osage Nation as well because the Constitution says that the Mineral rights are reserved to the Osage Nation giving him the ability to do it. If he fails to run to Court on Monday and the Federal court denies the injunction because everyone isn't there who should be, Standing Bear, like Chief Gray, who lost the Federal reservation recognition in Federal Court, risks losing a sizable portion of mineral estate oil and gas production and whatever negative affects it will have on the whole of Osage County. He may well be be the Chief who will bear the brunt of the judgement of history branded as the one who destroyed the productivity of the Osage Mineral Estate for the Shareholders. They don't talk about the Osage Congress losing the reservation even though most of them in office at the time voted to fund the lawsuit. The one history now holds responsible for it is Jim Gray.
A later comment reads:
One thing I've learned the hard way about this de facto government is how much is claimed to be fictitious from a speculative perspective which has a tendency to turn into cold hard fact.
Out of respect to Geoffrey StandingBear as Chief of the Osage Nation, perhaps someone of substance should invite him to join the lawsuit on behalf of all of the interested parties involved.
DeleteOut of respect to the constituentcy and the very People he took an oath to represent he should have been ahead of the game..acting as a leader would.
DeleteWell...not so fast, every so often a politically masterful idea has it's place and it might work to resolve the problem. Not my idea by the way but that of someone I know who is far smarter about such diplomatic maneuvers than I am.
DeleteI don't think that's a good idea. For the sake of legal standing I think I would be best for us as shareholders to keep our distance.
DeleteHowever much Geoffy, Jimmy Gray, the nation, and the BIA may like to believe the constitution trumps the ME created by the '06 act. It doesn't, federal law, however inconvenient for all these folks, trumps all.
*keep our distance from the Nation.*
DeleteI know but keep in mind that the Nation had representatives with the HHP lawsuit that included the then Chief and the then Speaker of the Osage Nation Congress.
DeleteYes, but if remember correctly that was without objection from the then OMC (who at the time couldn't wait to play in the nations sandbox) and who had already won that argument in court, that being that they DO have the right to file suit on behalf of the shareholders they represent.
DeleteI do not support letting the Nation muck about in our affairs. Not only does it put officials who don't have to answer to the shareholder in the drivers seat, more importantly, it sets a bad legal precedent. This is exactly why previous councils should not have let it happen.
Besides, I think their inept council already cost us millions and years in the HPP case. Remember there was no trust responsibility (damages) owned the non-Osage shareholders (see the Missouri payout) yet the Nation and their legal council made sure the white shareholders got the HPP payout. Personally, I would rather my payout been a third higher.
Good point where was the representation to not allow the Non-Osages be apart of this Suit, the HPP they were not harmed..damages is right, what happened there as well? I'll say it again, this Government was not to be, not this way...
DeleteIt was not a matter of not allowing non-Osages to be apart of the suit. They could not be apart of suit by definition. They are not and can not be restricted, therefore the government owes them no trust responsibility. However, the Nation went out of it's way to include the non-Osages in they payout. The non-Osages who were owned nothing took 1/3 of the settlement thanks to the Nation and their legal team. And let's not forget the Nation honoring and having Drummond days up on the hill, or whatever they called it. Now Drummond is filing lawsuits bringing mineral production to a stand still.
DeleteI do not blame the Drummond as much as I blame the upper echelon at the BIA. The Nation, you mean the few Osages that are playing house, that house is not made of bricks..and will come tumbling down and all it takes is one phone call...with the five man board and everyone who was responsible for the failure and huge loss of money and the untold story and the overages on the build out of the CASINOs and one loss after another with no real consequence and now they can't locate the defendants is not a surprise. And I hold the CHIEF RESPONSIBLE. This was not the way we were supposed to go...you can't cover up the truth. This money from the Casinos was not to form a Government of this Nature. This money was for your communities not to make a few rich..I know. To bring,not to steal or throw away. As I said before greed has lost the way of tnose few who sit where they do..and this will change..I can Guarantee this much. Like I said theres more to this. We are not in so deep that we can not restructure or just quit. And hit restart and count the loss..
DeleteYou guys just kill me sometimes. The drawdown was used for the legal on HPP and that was for both Osages and non-Osages because they PAID for that lawsuit too. That's why they were included in the payout. Stop being so greed driven. It's not your money and not your business. Tend to your own knittin' and keep it that way from now on.
Delete"HPP and that was for both Osages and non-Osages because they PAID for that lawsuit too. That's why they were included in the payout. Stop being so greed driven. It's not your money and not your business."
DeleteI don't even know where to begin. We all know or have family members who have been swindled, robbed and murdered for their headrights. Still today attorneys probating estates are stealing headrights from unknowing families and the DOI and BIA are letting it happen. Defunct long closed institutions are still somehow cashing checks from our ME. Church's have tried to give back headrights because of theft, not to mention the blood on them. I am at loss to imagine how you can defend that.
Greed is why my grandpa was murdered (choked to death and then had his head and face stomped in). It is OUR money and it is OUR business and the fact of the matter is these non-Osages, who shouldn't have headrights in the first place (other than for lifetime use), shouldn't have been given our money ...yet again.
Tend to our own "knittin," folksy homespun vernacular aside, that doesn't even make any since. When it's our money being given away it is our "knittin".
Not yours to fuss over. The Nation's just about to shut down your whole operation, kill off what's coming to you in a quarterly check and all you can think about is somebody elses check and why they don't have a right to it. You are so going to deserve what happens to you in the next few years it make me laugh at how much you've got it coming.
DeleteThe Nation lol.
DeleteThanks Ray McClain for your article. Let's just hope there are checks to send out in December. I'm facing losing my pickup. Things are bad when you cant work and nowhere to get cash for your family. social sec. just goes so far.
ReplyDeleteGood article on 7/7/15 from Ray at http://www.osages-you-need-to-know.com
DeleteI am so sorry to hear that. If you are Osage, the Nation has a fund for emergencies that may apply if you qualify. See https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/constituent-services
Always helpful Osageblogger.:)
Delete:)
DeleteHot off the Press:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-lankford-voice-concerns-about-the-osage-nations-oil-and-gas-estate
See also http://www.inhofe.senate.gov/download/?id=8d6dfdc6-29d5-40c2-81b5-2bb83d662fc7&download=1
DeleteRead it and leap for JOY!
DeleteThank you James Inhofe and James Lankford!
DeleteYes indeed! I am overflowing with gratitude...
DeleteWOW IS RIGHT! CHIEF needs to step up now that the wind is at his back and secure that lawsuit in Federal Court.
DeleteHe got right to the point! I went to tnhofes web page and press releases and it came on up. He really told that Sally off !!!! Thanks osageblogger for showing us this.
DeleteIt was my distinct pleasure, believe me.
DeleteAnother report in the Press --->>>
DeleteInhofe, Lankford say new BIA rules threaten Osage oil operations
http://www.ogj.com/articles/2015/07/inhofe-lankford-say-new-bia-rules-threaten-osage-oil-operations.html
How is the M.E going to get updated to the 21st Century with or with out these New Regs? We know the Grand Failure at a administrative level is still happening at the BIA and are not equipped, what I see is someone does not want the M.C to be successful. As much as it is the M.C is not equipped either way, why? There is so much failure representing the Shareholder's even the lack of support from the Nation is mind boggling wouldn't you say? Where is the control of the Asset Management at the Nation? The diligence and the fail safe risk controls by Policy? And we know what we are talking about Chief StandingBear. This all happened under your watch...incompetence is not in your favor. And then you have some nerve to want to go the UTE way for development of producing oil off the backs of the Shareholder's is more like a stab in the back unless that money is to come back to the Shareholder's other wise a huge Conflict of Interest. Pray for the Wind Farms crisis ends, does the hypocrisy never end? We pray for you that you do right. Since we are an Agency why have two Agencies for development of oil? Why not work directly with the Council, Shareholder's should know what your role in all of this is and you should be considered. ..Remember what got you where you are at..not forgot the 1906 Act. And the fact the 31st Council allowed for you to exist in the position that you are in. Your Loyalty is required under the Oath you took. I see so many people's voices but yours should be the Loudest. So when I say the Shareholder's have so many odds against them because of the burocracy has become so burdensome to the mineral state the detrimental and long term effects on the shareholders, we don't know because of failure at the administrative level the long term effects on the shareholders will be. The redundancies and the inefficiencies are as if not worse now before the HPP suit for all appearances. This has gone on for over a year...The Shareholder's want answer's not excuses..not that we dont understand the price of oil has dropped, more is going on here..
DeleteNo one is saying that changes don't need to be made. They all must go back to the drawing board with the oil and gas producers seated at the table as well. They do the work and they should have a say.
DeleteSorry failed to mention that as well..this all stinks.
DeleteArticle -->>>
ReplyDeletehttp://newsok.com/osage-county-feeling-pinch-of-administrations-anti-fossil-fuel-mindset/article/5431398
"...if I was to have the Osage Nation ...file a Friend of the Court brief I would need to work through our laws. We would need a Resolution from the Osage Minerals Council recognizing the authority of the Osage Nation in the case..." ~ Standingbear at Osage for Fiscal Responsibility
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what Standingbear is saying here. A Friend of the Court brief does not by any measure of federal court rules and procedure need a resolution or MOU from a party involved in the case recognizing the "Friends" supremacy or authority before it can be filed. Anyone, private citizen included, can petition the court to file an amicus brief. Usually you simply need to be a party of compelling interest with permission from the court to file the brief. In some venues all parties involved in the case have to agree to allow the brief but that is decided in the venue of the court not by some outside council meeting.
As always I may be wrong, but to my eye Mr. Standingbear's comment reads like political double speak.
If the ME and the OMC are so subordinate to the Nation why is it, for years now, the Nation has sought at every turn to get the OMC to recognize them via resolution or sign an MOU. If the Nation's power over the ME was inherent there would be no need for such actions.
I couldn't agree more with you..Double talk is an understatement..his true colors are showing...
DeleteCorrect. I'm not the only one who thinks he's playing chicken with the MC to get them sign over power to him he has no right to have. He knows that and so did Jim Gray and Johnny Red Eagle but these goons still keep coming. Now he's holding our headright money hostage in order to get an agreement and more power over the MC and they won't let him do it. They've done their part and have gotten into court and he needs to do his part or risk everything against those crappy new CFRs going into effect and all the destruction they will bring to the bottom line of the OME.
Delete...do his part and get into court or... Sorry.
DeleteATTENTION SHAREHOLDERS!
ReplyDeleteTwo of your elected Mineral Council members that support the new CFRs and the BIA today have taken action in retaliationagainst Revard Oil & Gas for their constructive criticism against the CF ours, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Osage Mineral Council members that do not supporting the Osage Oil operator. MC members Crum and Yates have instructed the BIA to look for any potential violations by Revard Oil & Gas. These two men need to be removed from office and fired. Instead of being smart businessman they are letting their personal feelings and egos get in the way of protecting the mineral estate, supporting the shareholders and the Osage oil and gas operator. They have supported the new CFRs from day one and now for them to have a personal vendetta against someone who speaks out with constructive criticism is childish and unnecessary.
James M. Revard
Thank you for noting this Mr. Revard.
DeleteThis appears to me to be unethical behavior on the part of Crum and Yates. Yates works directly for the Osage Nation and may have engaged in unethical "conduct unbecoming" as an employee of the Osage Nation. I suggest that you file an ethics complaint with the new Attorney General, Holli Wells on both men. I'm not sure what will happen with Crum who is entirely under the umbrella of the Minerals Agency but my suggestion is to file a complaint on both of them if you have concrete proof that this retaliation has taken place. here is the loaction of the Ethics Complaint Form: http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/attorney-general/downloads
DeleteThank you for the information. For years now my brother Paul S. Revard has invested in "The Osage" as our father before us did and for him to be punished for speaking out, sharing his concerns about the damage the new CFRs will create for ALL Osage Operators is just sad. As a Shareholder I find that the MC members thou their hearts might be in the right place their talent, knowldge and experience doesnt not give them the credentials to manage and grow the mineral estate. the Osage mineral Council has been non effective and came to the game way too late to help the Osage producers who by the way are their partners. Without the Producers investments and risk taking the Shareholders would not have their 20% royalties. We all know the Tribe has never been capable of producing and refining their own fossil fuels. Our father attempted to get the teibe to do juat that back in the 60s but it fell on deaf ears.
DeleteThank you for bringing this matter to a Stand..Mr.Revard...I to share in your dismay with the Council as well as I am dissatisfied is a understatement, at best the incompetence can no longer be ignored or for that matter used as an excuse. The Shareholder's at this point will make a move as to decide the fate of said Council Members. I will lead on this matter. What is bothersome had the Majority been made aware would we be at were we are at? And does that matter at this point? Given the war with Opec and the falling prices. What I do know who is minding the Camp sorta speak. It all boils down to "Asset MANAGEMENT ". We know the BIA is ill equipped soooooooo, then you now have the M.C saying our VOICE is being taken away with these NEW CFR's. Oh there's enough blame to go around and once again we find ourselves back at the round table..had there been bylaws and ao forth, long over due..and we want term limits as well.. our COUNCIL needs to be aware no longer the Shareholder's will not be kept in the Dark about their ASSET. Had we had a full running Petroleum Office , we could have prevented the DONNELSON case. It is so evident the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is going to be the demise of the ESTATE, THEY WILL BE PAYING FOR YEARS TO COME because what looks good on paper does not mean it is good for The Estate. I know what it means to run a Multi -Million dollar business, ask not what you can do for me but what I can do for you...That means you take charge and rid the cancer...I would like to say I don't get it but I do..simple in terms...it is evident what needs to be done...thank you once again Mr. Revard.
DeleteAttention Shareholders: Retraction and Clarification...
DeleteI was misinformed as to the activity of Crum and Yates in regards to them looking for violations by Revard Oil and Gas. It appears that they did not seek retaliation for my brothers outspokenness against the new CFRs but instead are investigating my late grandfather, uncle and late father's company BBR (Biddick Biddick and Revard) in a attempt to assist the Bureau of Indian Affairs with efforts to prove that BBR decision to turned over their Gas lease back to the tribe was not a result of the new CFRs. The fact is BBR has operated these leases for years at a breakeven point or in the Red with hopes that the natural gas prices would rebound. After reviewing the requirments of the CFRs a business decision was made that the CFRs would put the leases further in the Red so it was best to walk away from the leases. It is my opinion that the two MC members should not be assisting the BIA in this effort and secondly if the BIA was fullfilling their duties the BBR production information would be available with a keystroke but we all know the records or years behind and not electronic.
My opinion about the Mineral Council lact of knowledge and experience still stands. Not only has the BIA failed the Shareholders and Operators but so has the Osage Mineral Council.
Again I do apologize for the misunderstanding.
Regards,
James M. Revard
James, your stock just went up 100% in my book. We have all been fed a ton of misinformation lately, and you were apparently another victim. You could have let this stand, but you didn't. You were man enough to correct the error, and I admire you for that. We Shareholders need more people like you pumping our oil.
DeleteThank you Mr.Revard...
DeleteWell done, James.
DeleteMight be worth the time and money invested from a learning standpoint. http://energy.gov/indianenergy/events/save-date-tribal-energy-summit
ReplyDelete7/10 @ 4:31
DeleteThe event will highlight challenges and showcase opportunities in the areas of:
•Science and technology, policy, and the regulatory environment
•Community- and commercial-scale energy project development
•Tribal education and workforce development
•Federal procurement
•Energy sector supply chain participation.
Looks like the feds are serious about following policy, the regulatory environment, and energy project development. Things like this are what the MC should be pursuing instead of chasing their tails around a Federal court house suing the BIA.
As a shareholder I disagree 10:17AM, so does a lot of us including Sen. Inhofe. This crap needs to stop. You need to come back down to reality. People here just trying to survive. Osages are one of the most educated tribes there is and know of our opportunities. Who ever u r, get to know the Osage before making such statements!
DeleteThat's a big 10-4 on that.
DeleteThe tribe is highly educated hmm, really to the tune of 60,000000 million dollars and then sum? Some of us has more education on their little pinky than most in the Osage Government. Are you kidding me..The excuses need to end..back to the same ole song and dance should we least forget how we got to where we are at today as a reminder. Less we should forget how this O.N Government is mirroring the Obama Administration or for that matter the U.S Government, we are not. We have enogh blood line and ties that would agree and that would be the Majority descendants of the original Alotees would speak to that..as to coomon sense should prevail. Always does, sometimes at a price right. Life is 10%, 90% is what you do about it..hmmm Government never downsizing but it starts at home, the Casinos who our the fabric of the Ntaion, sound familiar?
DeleteUpdate1-OMC Court Hearing Cancelled: New Date is August 10, 2015
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/update1-omc-court-hearing-cancelled-new-date-august-10
Why is the Nation's Judicial Court doing this when they know or should know by now that the MC will be in Federal Court in Tulsa on that date. How stupid is that?
DON'T FORGET: Minerals Council Meeting Dates for July 2015:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-meeting-dates-july-2015
I just now received my copy of this month's edition of the Osage News. I searched three times and could not find an article about the BIA CFR training sessions or about the two lawsuits file by our OMC and the producers. Really? Please refer me to the page if I overlooked it. I can't believe this topic is not front page news. I can't find any mention of it.
ReplyDeleteThe Osage News claims to be the "Official Newspaper of the Osage Nation". If this is true, what Osage Nation are they referring to? Certainly not the one in Northeastern Oklahoma. The cultural coverage is excellent, but what about the livelihood of the Osages? They do a pretty good job about reporting news regarding the bingo casinos and some scandal. I noticed that they gave credit the Osage college graduates for whom I'm very proud of. Some of their parents won't be able to send the next bunch of kids to college if they loose their oil and gas income. I think this is news worthy but I do not have a news paper to express this.
I suggest that one of the new college graduates start a newspaper for the "Shareholders" so that news affecting them can be circulated to their fellow Shareholders. I would be the first to subscribe.
Finally! I'm glad someone else is speaking out about the Osage News. They are a "soft" news source that specializes in puff pieces about the Osages and what they are doing but rarely do you see anything too challenging or aggressive. This BIA/Shareholder/CFRs situation is the biggest news in the entire County and they are sitting right on top of it but you would hardly even know it.
DeleteTotalitarian is what I am seeing.
Delete?
DeleteMore on self-promoting conferences where they win awards than on important Shareholder and M.E. news. BUH!
DeleteDo the math, you don't hear the Nation complaining about the CFRs or even talking much about them. Add to that the two
Deleteminerals council members who are proponents of the CFRs are also the strongest proponents of a Nation take over of the mineral estate, then think about the claim that the new CFRs require confiscated equipment to go to the Nation who has an unfunded energy company and you might get your answer about why the Osage News doesn't cover the CFR debacle. The Nation holds the purse strings and so the fate of Osage News.
It's just my opinion but it all gives the appearance that the Nation is for the CFRs as written. The reaction of officials in the Nation hasn't been even a fraction of how they reacted about the wind mills. I think that says something.
Very good. You're starting to add things up and they don't really add up on the side of the Shareholders, now do they?
DeleteBetween you both thats been brought up already.on above posts.
DeleteIn regard to the BBR exit from the Osage after 60 plus years, I am familiar with their plight. They have extremely marginal net income form their gas production and during some months, they operate their wells at a loss. If they are to comply with the new CFR's they will have to pay a consultant to perform the new burdensome reporting. Just this small additional expense makes all the difference in the property making a profit or producing at a loss. They decided to plug the wells rather that put up with the expensive new regulations. From a Shareholder's perspective, wouldn't you prefer to encourage BBR to keep producing their wells with the slim margin rather than plugging them?
ReplyDeleteGalen Crum and Andrew Yates were in the Osage Agency Friday to research the production of BBR in an effort to prove that the exit of BBR is insignificant because BBR's production from these leases is so low.
Why are these two Council Members conducting this research? Of course, they are working for the benefit of the BIA and DOI and contrary to the resolutions adopted by the majority resolution votes of the Mineral Council. These two Council Members were in the minority when the subject of the new CFR's were presented and they should be supporting the majority vote rather than sabotaging the will of the majority.
I think there is an ethics issue here that should be addressed. Maybe a recall of their Mineral Council Membership.
Why are they going to these extremes to minimize they affect of BBR's exit from the Osage? They are in the DOI/BIA's hip pocket.
Let's initiate a recall!
WTH? So what is this going to turn out to be? Is every small producer going to be $$$ evaluated relative to their worth to the bottom line for how much production they've been responsible for during the last 50 years in order to undercut their position that will even further denigrate them and further their plight? Are you telling me that these two would stoop this low in order to justify these CFRs moving forward? Are they trying to initiate some sort of small producer persecution now? You know, if this actually proves to be true, there are rats the size of small dogs crawling around in gutters all over the world that I think more highly of, at times, than Yates and Crum and their puppet master Sonny Abbott.
Deleteso now were not only going to put em out of business were going to persecute em too
DeleteThe report should also include the value of the assets which will be abandoned pursuant to the new CFRs. The CFR changes will have these assets transferred to whoever picks up the lease without compensation to BBR. This will allow the new operator to make a profit level which BBR was unable to achieve, having had to invest in equipment and sunken costs associated with prospecting and drilling.
DeleteOf course, this scheme only results in a one time competitive advantage for the group(s) taking over abandoned leases. At some point this catches up and new investment must be made, at which time it is likely that oil production in Osage County will drop to an insignificant level.
This whole mess smells to high Heaven and isn't in the best interests of the shareholders.
OMG! If this is true, this is a classic ploy of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to put in a disinformation campaign to undermine and undercut the opposition's point of view. Has it really come down to this? You can't get anything out of that Osage Agency. If true, the only way Galen and Andrew could even hope to do so is with the blessing of those much higher up in the BIA.
DeleteWhat report? Is this a BIA sponsored report or the two renegade members of the Minerals Council?
DeleteWhere was the impact analysis report, the risk to the ME?
Delete“What report” is right. I doubt there is any “report.” It is the responsibility of each MC member to know how much a lease is producing. That’s the first thing they need to know when opening negotiations for leasing or making other important decisions about our Mineral Estate. If the Council knew what they were doing, they would have it set up on a computer where each could retrieve this information from their office (if only they had an office.) It looks to me like Yates and Crum were simply doing their jobs, and not depending upon all the horse crap information that has been being dumped upon us in the last several months to make important decisions. The issuance of Mr. Revard’s retraction fully bears this out. Knowing that there is very little day to day expense involved to produce a gas well once it is on-line, these leases, with gas prices at historical lows and according to Mr. Revard’s post here, have been in a borderline situation for a long time. It could be several years before gas prices recover enough to make them truly profitable. These leases were obviously ripe to be shut in and BBR has decided to do just that. Any prudent operator in the same situation would do the same thing. Why waste time beating a dead horse?
DeleteAnd 12:27 PM, the only thing that smells to high heaven is your misguided understanding of oil field economics and operations.
This is why we need a Full on operations. This would be known. Incompetency is not acceptable at this point from any agency .
DeleteThe economics of any business requiring the investment of capital and labor is the same. The "magic" in the oil business is in locating deposits, drilling, and operating at a cost which can sustain a profit, after accounting for on-going expenses of production. A part of the initial cost is the investment in assets associated with the well, and part of the on-going expenses is depreciation.
DeleteIf a party picking up an abandoned lease takes over the assets with no investment when it assumes operation, then it has a competitive advantage due to elimination of the investment in the assets and drilling expenses. In such a case it will have a book profit where the previous producer was operating at or near break-even due to depreciation expenses and the low price of oil. Eliminate on-going book expenses related depreciation of expenses and a break-even operation becomes a profitable one.
As to the report, the communication of the findings is a report - whether oral or written. Since there is knowledge of the fact finding, it only stands to reason that the facts will be communicated to someone.
The transfer of assets from an abandoned or forfeited lease pursuant to the new CFRs reeks of corruption. Apparently, the legal department at the BIA has never read the 5th Amendment, which states "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
It still doesn't give galen the right as a lone wolf to do this without a vote from all members!!! I'm not sure about the whole thing, but we'll find out.
DeleteTo the blogger posting on July 12, 9:16 PM: The BBR leases were not "ripe to be shut-in". You are not familiar enough with these leases to make this determination.
DeleteFor your information, the wells on these properties have "behind the pipe" potential as well as development offset drilling locations that should be pursued, if and when, the DOI/BIA and our Mineral Council removes the strangle hold on the producer. Mr. Crum and Mr. Yates are not qualified to make this evaluation as it would involve geological mapping, petroleum engineering evaluation including interpretation of electric logs, etc. One cannot just look at production history.
BBR is not allowed to develop their leases due to EA's, beetle bug studies, etc. They were operating their wells at an extremely low profit margin, to keep the BIA from terminating the leases so that some day when the EA's and other restrictions are eventually removed, they can resume developing their leases. Now, with the new CFR's, the last straw, BBR has finally given up and taking their capital elsewhere as all of us producers have started to do. Good bye Osage County. Good bye Shareholder royalties! Congratulations to the Obama administration!
In any event, if a man or a woman for that matter, says they are leaving because of the new regulations be that of those related to Fish and Wildlife, the new CFRs, or the NEPA, that is their call to make and no amount of research will make any difference. To try and and come up with some theory based on numbers in the Agency Office to prove that this oil and gas producer is leaving because some other reason which is trying to be proven in an effort to undermine the producer giving that reason, this is the worst way to be disrespectful to the producer because what you are doing is trying to make a case in order to call that producer a liar. Are these two renegade members of the MC in support of the CFRs and in contraversion of the concerns expressed by the members of the Oklahoma U.S. Senate so in denial of the facts or in such a delusionary state that they are now sinking to such depths of degradation? This is getting out of hand.
DeleteIt's bull headed on the part of those two and detrimental to the Osage Shareholders to keep hanging on to those terrible CFRs. If the members of the U.S. Senate can see the danger and send a letter to Sally Jewell to correct her behavior and get rid of the new CCFs, why can't they?
DeleteThank you 10:40 pm...for putting it in words of truth, corruption.
DeleteHas anyone realized what an enormous conflict of interest exists with Andrew Yates being on the OMC and also holding oil producers fates in his hands via his ability to pass/fail MIT tests (Mechanical Integrity Tests) for disposal/injection wells? Producers are petrified about offending him and he is skulking around BIA offices digging up dirt on these same producers. These facts should be brought up in front of the OMC. He should resign.
DeleteHmmm... well that's an interesting fact, if true. He should not be in such a position over the producers and on the M.C. too.
DeleteToo bad 1:07PM that this was not considered or revealed during the election process. Shareholders only have themselves to blame for electing the wrong people. I hope next time around there will be more informed voting.
DeleteNo one should resign..throw all of them out....the cancer has spread. No accident there. The menaing of insanity is doing the same thing over again from the BIA to the M.C all the wag to the top official at the DOI..you cannot expect a different outcome from a perspective we have a Toxic M.E meaning the state of mind set with our M.C stinks to high heaven in corruption. No one is on the page the page og the Majority the Shareholder's side and I am seeing this in a very pragmatic way and this just gets deeper. All under the guiss we are sovereign and this was a choice made for us not the other away around. In my opinion this Council is feckless.
DeleteThere has been word out about Yates for years being an Osage Nation guy because he's worked for the Osage Nation all along. People just don't pay attention when the time around for the election. They call their family and friends and vote that ticket. It's been that way forever.
DeleteProblems are easily solved and the squeaky wheels are waiting to spin.? In other words someone in little china will have to answrr to when the Feds realize they are being toyed with...and thats my opinion. But its not just them alone bottom line the Shareholder's that have beeb kept in the dark about their asset being used like a wet sponge..just got together with a few Osages this weekend...do you not think that the Osages are formulating. To some degree they are and how much in the dark they are about the politics...and they are saying how did this happen in this day and age...so you tell me the Shareholder's are comprised to the situation by two Agencies of the situation who have a interest in the protection of the M.E not keep the majority of Shareholder's the loop? How did we come to a Nation..I a major stakeholder did not get my Vote in 2006..I didn't subscribe to the Newspaper back in 2006, isn't znd wasn't that the resource used to reach the Shareholder's back then, Nd you tell me how fair that was, where was the help from the BIA?
DeleteWe need a recall of the entire Mineral Council Members and then have an election to replace them all with qualified individuals with oil and gas experience. Why have we not heard from Chairman Waller? He has two renegade council members and all hell is breaking out. What kind of leader would stand back, do nothing, and be silent? Oh, Obama comes to mind! After second thought, Obama is not a leader, he is an organizer. Obama's cronies have served him well in regards to our mineral estate. Sally Jewell will no doubt be highly decorated with her achievement to destroy our mineral estate. Michael Black will probably get a promotion which he will share with our ignorant Superintendent, Robin Phillips, who doesn't no sh..t from Shinola or "come here from sick'em, about the oil and gas industry!
DeleteWhat a cluster fest! Really? This is a billion dollar estate run by idiots, at all levels. The Shareholders should have a very convincing cause to initiate legal action against the Feds again, and this time, for billions, not millions!
Where are the Shareholders? They should be outraged! Why are they silent? They have as much at stake as do the producers. Their silence is defining. They will only have themselves to blame when their checks dwindle to nothing. The producers have tried to rally them and educate them about the current situation but only one or two have made comments on this site which is supposedly their blog site.
Oh well? Good bye to the royalty checks! Hope bingo casinos and tobacco work out for you.
Mr. producer, I wish the producers had a blog for you to rant on.
DeleteI think a lot of the Shareholders don't really know what is happening and many are unwilling to face how bad it is and how bad it could get if all this regulation takes out a swath of the oil and gas producers in Osage County. Some of them, if not most are really frightened and don't know what to think or say or to do about it and that's why I have been working night and day to try and help sort this madness out. Even some of the producers are not fully aware of the seriousness of the situation. I have had comments from other social media sites that have strongly indicated that without the Osage Blog and comments to some of the others like Facebook that they wouldn't have a clue as to what is going on right now. These are comments that have come in to me from other social media web sites that I have joined fairly recently in an effort to get the word out to as many as humanly possible:
Delete"Your knowledge is awesome to me...You have been a great source of information, and are willing to share,,,most appreciated here.
Thanks for being a leader."
"I like to read your comments, and I agree with most of them...Because I work for the tribe, I have to watch what I say, so I do not post my comments, that would hurt my employement...Thank you again for standing up for our tribe."
It's early days yet and this regulation tsunami with the CFRs is only a month old. It takes time to get the word out but I believe if we keep up our efforts to share and raise awareness with one another that in the not too distant future, it will lead to very positive results.
Wow Osagblogger we all have listened to what you have say as well. And for someone who works for the Nation I am happy you have this forum..it has been hard as well not to be as candid, but as this point what we are seeing is unfolding the very truth is coming to a head more or less the truth reveals itself and now we can see the forest for the trees. Am I ashamed yes ,but no longer can we sit Idle and not not, not speak about actually the truth about what has happened and to have to put the pieces of the puzzle together is still puzzling in one breath. As I have said where is Waller in all of this, where is the Chief in all of this...? Then you had Yates and Crum who all of a sudden has disappeared into thin air and have stop responding to some very good questions on this site that need to be answered to the best of their Knowledge since they were so pro per the CFR's leads me to believe that because the silence is deafening leaves me to believe that there was Motive...even Ray McClain has nothing to say who also was a proponent of said CFR's all silent...ah Facebook your not going to get the real better perspective than this site can offer. Though facebook is one way of communication, at this point you cannot sugar coat, and fingers need to point and its happening and the M.C should be ashamed for not handling damage control in the most appropriate way...had we had a full petroleum office this would have been handled in the most appropriate way..had we had a legal dept, had we had an advertising dept and so forth, organized with bylaws to put an end to unethical behavior but we don't and for pete's sake why the hell not in the 21st century and this is where we are at still at square one a hundres years later? A Billon dollar Estate cannot not run by Pencil alone..long over due should our M.C be removed and replaced. Should the Shareholders be heard. Incompetency is not the norm, no longer accepted as an excuse..we will move forward with an agenda should the Community of Shareholder's unite. Our Voice will be heard loud and clearly.
DeleteTransperency is long over due should the Intgrity of the M.E be presreved for another 100 years, but we are not even near that path are we and all of us have to ask that question, why not?
Delete@Anonymous July 13 9:10PM. Thats so typical of an Osage Shareholder. You dont want to hear the truth about the state of the Mineral Estate and your elected officials. Do you realize that the MC does not and will not keep you informed? There hasnt been a new letter or any reporting to Shareholders since 2014. You just want to post about BS that has no impact on your wallet? Maybe you should go elsewhere. Try the Osage News it has not meat to it.
DeleteGet a life or a job because you wont be able to live off the imcome of the mineral estate for much longer.
Yes, I have a friend that does not see all that's going on right now.
DeleteShe says as long as the oil is pumping why worry I think all this trouble is more than some can bare and deal with. A lot of the shareholders are getting old and sick. There is not too many people in Osage County that are really the right people for this MC and deal with the issues it has. I don't know anyone I'd vote for right now. Most are working at other jobs. This doesn't mean some of our MC aren't good people. And I think some are doing all they know. Others are just lazy. They know they aren't reporting to us anything,.nor are they keeping any records on the mineral web site. Why are we paying for this treatment? Is it law we have to have 8 members? They won't read this blog either, I've ask, like they don.t want to know..........
To all the Producers in Osage County please post on this site...the only way the Shareholders are going to hear about the Truth of the matter is by one paticular Producer, Mr.Revard. This BLOG and if it was not for his postings, that had changed my opinion on the matter..though I do believe any and all equipment should be updated to the 21st Century, these CFR's need to be restored. Mr. Revard thank you ever so much for bringing the Shareholders up to speed in communication and transperency on the matter. I hope you continue once we get over this huge tangled web that we can once tangle, dance again in harmony. It is my Opinion this is and was by all means no accident. How and what this is is a huge bureaucratic mess, from a shareholders perspective, the failure, the conflict of interest to the unethical behavior and the list can go on, astounds.I can say this much and for all appearances this wreaks Corruption on so many levels..starting with the BIA, they are not equipped, many inefficiencies existed before hand not to mention the many redundancies that exists, to litlle structure. This Estate is huge and it takes more than a handful of employee's. Reaity, is 2 mo's out and peoples front in are being affected from that end as well at the Pawhuska office, .no one wants to talk the truth to the tune of failure, do they enjoy the drama? I have ran many Businesses in my day and might you know how successful. I again will say where is the representation for the Shareholders? Is it going to be Mr.Revard? Please continue to post, you are welcomed. Someone does not want the Shareholders to know how dirty this is and someones hands are nee deep in sh. It. And the only one who has kept us in the Know it happens to be the Producer Mr. Revard and I am greatly appreciated now this is communication with a Producer on a level our M.C in the real world should be having..had we a compliance office, a legal dept, an advertising dept we would be in a much better, mapping dept, in place. Time for the M.C to get off their lazy boy chair and clean the wax out of their ears because this Shareholder means what I say you all can and will be replaced after said and done. Life is quite 10%, 90%is what you do.
DeleteTo Poster,9:10 am, it is not so much that they are not good people in as much as who and what they are defined by action...and complicity by just being apart of, has not faired our M.E. or the Shareholder's. In some respect with no disrespect to our elders and the 31st Council, we have been sliding on a sliding scale in the downward spiral since we became a Government, This I know for sure, this Government for the people not so much. And the Fingers by and by the Constituency are all pointing back at you. Now this tug of war is not working...I have been watching how the Politics of our Osage Tribe from as far back as I can and it has not weathered well with our Tribe. With the Chief wanting to work independently to produce oil a huge Conflict of Interest, unless he comes to the Table to negotiate and that has not happened. .give the Shareholder's a Percentage, just maybe a partner ship can develop. .just saying this is how you do business in the real world...other wise suits will be filed for unethical behavior. So when I say to my elders and I have not heard from one outside of Redcorn who said all it took was one phone call to begin this Government, I say where wa X my phone call to protest!
DeleteI respectfully disagree with your statement about the Nation undertaking the task of building an Oil & Gas E&P company. This is years and years over due. As far as the Chief communicating with the MC or Shareholders, he has attempted to do so but the MC refuses to allow any conversation with him or his office. If the Nation enters into the business the Shareholders will get their 20% royalties like always for doing nothing and but feeling entitled. The fact is the Headeights and Shareholders for years have devided the Nation with their better than the rest mind set and have NEVER invested a dime back into the Mineral Estate. I for one back the Chief 100% and pray that he does start a Exploration Production company because it might be the only thing that safes the ME from being take over by the Feds. Lord knows the MC doesnt not have the talent to produce one drop of oil on their own. Nor do they have the desire to. Its easier to collect that mailbox money. It will run out one day my friends. Then what?
DeleteI have been against the Negregs since I first read them,,,Not all, BUT the ridiculous Penalties...Some were good but.. Yes I did not go to the meetings when they we having them because I am not trained in Oil Producing and I felt the Council and the Producers were the ones to negotiate them. I have gone to the Shareholders Association, which have had many very good speakers to warn us of them and to tell us that what was going to happen...And it has. I have written letters to Sally Jewell, Jim Inhoff , Mr Lankford and many others, I have taken letters to fellow
DeleteShareholders to get them to send them to the powers that be... What else can I go? Together we stand alone we may fall....Oh yes, so many just want to receive their money...and so what? You had better wake up and help...at least send letters. I believe that Mr Inhoff and Lankford are in our corner and will help..I have run businesses for 50 years and saw the dangers and protested at the Council meetings and in person.
They certainly see that we are having unfair practices bestowed on us! Come to Shareholder Association meetings and find out what is going on Third Sunday of August at Dave Landrum at 1:00 Potluck!. It is for your interest. What are you doing to help?
James, you should know of all people that the oil and gas business is terribly hard and very difficult to turn a buck. What I'm beginning to smell is a whole bunch of oil and gas related people who are already lining up for a paycheck from the Osage Nation, if and when it goes into the oil business one day. Just because you want what you want when you want it doesn't make it feasible to enter into a business with government money on the line that is so high risk and with such a high failure rate. Osage Chief Tillman did it in the very recent past and he failed. Just because the Southern Utes do what they do has nothing to do with us. One of our biggest obsessions in the new government is feeling that we must compete with nearly every Indian Tribe on the planet. In some ways, this has been good but in almost all others it has been a disaster. We wanted to compete with Ho-Chunk, Inc and so we hired Lance Morgan (Harvard Man) to put it together for us and we proceeded to lose more money in entirely than it took to build one of our Casinos all in. In fact, just to suggest that we do so makes me question your judgement overall. The Osage Nation has failed at everything they've set out to do other than gaming where you almost can't fail unless you're just too dumb to be believed.
DeleteLet me also add that Chief Tillman was heard to say that he was going to get it done right.
DeleteWhen Tillman attempted to enter into the oil industry they did so with just one well and no personnel with oil industry experience and knowldge. You have to hire talented people and pay them the industry standard.
DeleteIts either attempt it or sit back and watch more Osage oil and gas being produced by non Indians. I just believe its best to control your own destiny.
I for one have no problem if the Nation wants to lose money in the oil business. Makes no difference if they lose our money in construction, lose our money in development, lose our money security, lose our money in high risk junk loans, or lose our money in oil. Here is the one caveat to the foregoing statement; if the Nation wants to get in the oil business they should get no special market advantages, privileges, rates, or concessions at the shareholders expense. If they think they can somehow muster the brain cells it takes to run a successful business be it in oil, or anything else, they should have to play by the same rules as everyone else in the game.
DeleteThe minute a ONES oil company drives away competition do to some contrived "Osage advantage" is the minute the shareholders begin to lose out.
Try and think outside the box, in auch bigger way. There is an opportunity to educate and employee lots of Osages with white collar and blue collar jobs. The Nation should offer full ride scholarships to any Osage student with a 2.0 or above grade point to go to an Okla college as long as its a oil and gas related field such as engineering, geology, oil and gas law etc. Also pay for other Osages to be trianed at High Plains Tech center on how to work on deilling rigs, service rigs etc. Within a 5 to 6 yr time frame there could be a 80% Osage oil company and possibly Osage drilling and service companies.
DeleteYes its high risk but what industy doesnt have risk involved?
I would not suggest that the Nations oil company get any special treatment.
If you sit back and do nothing then all that you get is your 20% roylties and depend on mon Osages to grow the mineral estate and production rates.
Being passive gets you no where fast.
As I said in all sincerity, it makes no difference to me if they want to get into the oil business. Great, go for it. But they are not entitled to and should not receive any special market advantage, privileges, rates, or concessions at the shareholders expense. That includes not using TERA in a way that drives competition out of the Osage. That includes not taking ownership of producers equipment should the superintendent terminate a lease as was suggested by the contested CFRs.
DeleteTo me all this begs the question, if they aren't going to use some market advantage to drive out other producers, aren't going to produce at a lower cost than the competition then how exactly is it smart money to be getting into oil? If preferential treatment, unfair or unethical advantage is off the table is the Nation's venture into oil supposed to be an altruistic overture to the shareholders?
There's over 1700 non-Osage Shareholders , maybe half with sons and daughters, or grandchildren that has graduated from Colleges and have been earning degrees in many of the fields that you have mention. I , have had a Grandson graduate from a UT university with a degree in environmental Earth structure, still taking advance classes. So, expand your thoughts just a little bit for there's some others that are preparing them selves. H
DeleteI guess the question is this:
DeleteSince the discussion is about developing the ME and growing production, by what virtue will the brain trust at the ONES be able to look at a lease and say, "It's profitable to produce," where all other long experienced oil men have looked at it said and agreed, "It's not worth the cost of production"? I don't see how they can do that without some special market advantage. It doesn't make since.
I happen to agree with All of Posters comments at 1:43 pm, not the Ute way , The Osage way, so disingenuous of the Nation to think other wise. Power is only if you give it away..long over due should our infrastructure grow. And like minded people needed in the most urgent way..Long live the but not forgot the Osage Tribe now the Nation. And forever hold your piece, long live the 1906 ACT as amended.
Delete"There's over 1700[0] non-Osage Shareholders ...children that has graduated from Colleges ...earning degrees in many of the fields that you have mention. ...So, expand your thoughts just a little bit for there's some others that are preparing them selves."
DeleteThat is great. If the Nation can make a go of the oil business without special market advantage, more power to everybody. What needs to be guarded against is the Nation using loopholes, special favor, some kind of coercion that drives out competition or cost the shareholders. It's not the shareholders responsibility directly or indirectly pay for the employment of someone just because they graduated college.
If the Nation can do this and be profitable without some back door shenanigans, great. However I think the previously posted questions needs thoughtful consideration and an exhaustive answer. first
What I find concerning and interest in about your comments is that it would lead one to believe that Osages are dumb, dishonest, some type of criminal and incapable of running a business. To answer that I refer you to my comment about providing scholarships to educate and train our Osage people.
DeleteThe other thing that's alarming but not surprising is that your comments reek of greed by the shareholders. You don't care what happens as long as it does not affect their shareholders and their checks. This is why there is division within our tribe. The shareholders are greedy about their head right money that they did not earn they just inherited because their grandparent or great grandparents are on the roll. No different than how I ended up with a headright. It wasnt earned its a gift that our parents tought us not to depend on.
However the most alarming point is that you don't see the opportunity to help advance all of the Osage people by providing them education and job opportunity.
Liberals
DeleteAh more like a monopoly is in play
DeleteJames you had me until you mwde some awful assumptions.
Delete"lead one to believe that Osages are dumb, dishonest, some type of criminal and incapable of running a business." I refer you to the Osage LLCs theft and loses ($20,000,000.00), casinos that have a 1/3 cost overrun ($30,000,000.00), the Pawhuska casino theft ($800,000.00), the Skiatook sub-division development with new roads that have to be replaced ($$$), building houses that no one knows if they are going to rent them or sale them. No greater return from our investment in our casinos since they day they opened... and so on and so forth.
DeleteOsages are talented, smart, resourceful and dedicated. But that thing on the hill, the government, that's a government. A seemly inept one. It is a thing, an ill-conceived, poorly managed thing. I do not believe or think it reflects on our abilities as human beings. I've seen to many Osages achieve greatness to believe that.
Hold up. We aren't talking about scholarships or education. We are talking about a business venture. A venture that should serve more function that giving someone a job. It should be profitable. We should strive for more than welfare employment.
It is absolutely necessary that profit be considered. Is this not a business venture? Or is this only to be some on the job training program for our people before the head off to Exxon? How long can we afford to employee people who do nothing other than fill a chair. Doesn't that kind of waste cost the person who wants to go to school for something other than oil and gas?
I realize this may be novel to us at this point but if we have business ventures that are there to turn a profit, rather than simply give someones cousin a job, there will be more money for growth and investment and the betterment and preservation of our people. ...such radical ideas, I know.
"The shareholders are greedy about their head right money that they did not earn they just inherited..." On behalf of the shareholders I apologize for inheriting something and wanting to hold onto it. Let see my family didn't run out and sell their land the minute allotment passed. Do you think I should donate some of that to the Nation as well. After all, it is inherited and it's not befitting your kids. Get serious.
As to the evil greed of the shareholders; who got me ready to dance, it wasn't the Nation it was several shareholders. Who paid for the drum, it wasn't the Nation, it was a group of shareholders and non-shareholder. Who helped support me when I was just starting out, again it wasn't the Nation ...shareholders. Who sent me to school, not the Nation it was a shareholder. I have seen more shareholders give more freely to more people than I care to or could count. There is a big difference between someone giving and the Nation taking on someones behalf.
James, if you are going to dispense advice, perhaps you should try and get up to speed. The recent edition of the Osage News arrived just the other day with a full center page of most, but not all of the Osage graduates who have received the higher education scholarship from the Osage Nation. The number for 2015 is more than 162.
DeleteI'm not going to apologize to anyone for anything, nor am I going to be roughed up when I tell you that I don't want a bunch of non-professionals out there in the oilfield screwing everything up from hell to breakfast like they have with everything else they've been involved in since this crazy government took over from the more sane and sensible one we had in there before.
Right it wasn't the Nation that paid for my education, or into my retirement fund...those that left the Tribe for a Higher Education..It is my inherent right to protect what my Grandmother who said this day will come and here we are and I am here for the long run.This is a de facto Gov. Built on lies..there is nothing binding in Osage County where one can make a decent living. Have looked around lately in our Communities? Culture shock with one huge Pagoda of an eye sore..a Arbor that was in my opinion way over built..parks and Airparks we are just beginning to collect leese money...The Whole Chief scandal "Red Eagle ". I mean the Laundry list is huge. And now the M.E..
DeleteI hear these guys are going to be on the team for ONES, LLC: https://www.facebook.com/BlueStarStudioInc/photos/a.572150899516323.1073741828.518242401573840/874087545989322/?type=1&theater
DeleteProfessional decorum aside, why on earth would an energy development company need in-house architects? Surely to God this isn't true.
DeleteI just looked at their fb page and kept scrolling down. I found this too:
Delete"Once and a while there are those who may doubt our small architecture and planning team's effort in the rural, small town, tribal and disadvantaged communities we serve with a passion. We are fighting the good fight and we have a simple response. :-)
"GO AHEAD. WE'RE STILL HUSTLING."
Hustlers? So the free-for-all is going to continue?
James, is this what the ONES, LLC is up to? Isn't that Jon Red Corn, Raymond Red Corn's son? If you're advocating for this crap to start happening with the OME, it's best you leave quietly and soon.
I don't know for sure but I think they may be part of the group that's supposed to come up with a plan for the oil biz. How they're going to do that with no oilfield experience, I don't know.
DeleteKnowing the Osage Nation gov. that sounds about right.
DeleteOtherwise known as the Osage Pile On. All over your headright income with new Osage gov. bureaucracies sprouting up all over the place. One thing they will need to do is establish within the Osage Nation Treasury is a permanent fund for fines from the BIA so they don't end up bleeding the Osage Nation government dry by transferring all the money in it to the Federal government because of fines for screwups out in the oilfield.
DeleteHere here. I agree with poster @ 4:29 pm. considering the History and the tale spin we are in deep enough we dont need to add to the mix this conflict Ones.
Delete"You have to hire talented people and pay them the industry standard. " You need more than talent. You need education, background, experience and know how. In other words, you need to know what you're doing. Why is it that when the Nation wants to develop anything new they always speak of hiring talented people. The world is filled with talented people. What you must concentrate on is hiring those with the very best chance of making the effort a success. Success in the oil business means you generate a profit and you need to hire those who have a proven track record of success on this basis who have run a successful oil and gas business in the past. You also must hire employees who are willing to work 90 to 100 hours a week in order to get it off the ground. If you don't have that kind of employment pool with true professionals or those who are willing and able to work hard and learn then you shouldn't even think of going into the oil and gas business. You should leave it to the professionals who know what they are doing.
DeleteAbsolutely right, this is not a pencil pusher..desk type of job..its 24/7
DeleteTime to recall the Entire M.C
ReplyDeleteSee Osage Nation prays for the end of wind developments at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/osage-nation-prays-for-the-end-of-wind-developments/article_278a9e60-9446-5451-aec3-4610c11fc4fa.html?mode=image&photo=1
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is restitution better be long and forth coming and it begins today, how long the Damage is felt through oil country is beyond comparison. The oil industry is a community. I am sick to my stomach..where is the Press Release to the Shareholder's the M.C failed to represent the Shareholder's.? Chief?
DeleteTell us exactly and in detail how you feel the Mineral Council isn't representing your interest. Which members of the Minerals Council are you referring to and tell us what they're doing or not doing that you think isn't good? Making a blanket inditement over and over again isn't helpful in understanding what needs to be set right.
DeleteIts not a Blanket Statement it's a Fact. As have been purported on this site many times.
DeleteBe specific.
DeleteOsageblogger, is the MC having a meeting this Friday @ 10AM? I want to listen.
ReplyDeleteFRIDAY JULY 17, 2015, 1:00 P.M.
DeleteThe Agenda is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/minerals-council-agenda-july-17
DeleteHere goes another one:
ReplyDeleteNew Western Energy Terminates Letter of Intent to Acquire Oil and Gas Leases in Osage County, Oklahoma - http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/05/29/740593/10136597/en/New-Western-Energy-Terminates-Letter-of-Intent-to-Acquire-Oil-and-Gas-Leases-in-Osage-County-Oklahoma.html
The new cfrs were posted on May 11, 2015, and the proposed version was posted months before that. If the new regs were the problem, why has Western Energy not terminated their letter of intent before now? Why was it even issued in the first place? Who was this letter of intent filed with? Was it with the security and exchange commission or was it with the BIA? When was it filed?
DeleteThe Donelson lawsuit is the huge black cloud hanging over our mineral estate, and it has been since it was filed. Not the cfrs. Donelson clouds ownership of the title to every lease in the county.
Our MC should have filed a friend of the court document in the Donelson case a year ago, explaining to the judge the problems it is causing the shareholders by shutting down development of the mineral estate. Right now, Donelson seems to be stalled in the federal court system, with no further action scheduled that we know of. The MC must get off their duffs and do something about this.
I am glad the someone else is seeing the forest for the trees, because the BIA combined with the M.C are soooooo accountable, all the way up to the upper echelon at the DOI. Where is Vince Logans opinon? Oh the M.C is arm chair coaching...alright..replace them soon couldn't be clear..didn't I say earlier watch the finger pointing to begin..it has begun.
DeleteMoreover, Gentner Drummond has filed an appeal on the programmatic workover EA that the BIA was creating for the Mineral Estate's benefit. As a result, workover permits are still not being issued. Gentner now has the Mineral Estate tied in knots on 2 fronts - the Donelson lawsuit and now the workover EA. Anybody for a lynchin'?
DeleteI thought none of this has to be decided until the lawsuit has settled in court. The BIA should be able to continue with all permits until the final gavel is rapped. The BIA didn't start handing out the money before the HPP lawsuit was settled. What is this? Their attitude should be, "So noted." and move on with the day to day. We can't advocate for violence here but we understand the level of frustration.
DeleteNothing stopping you from picketing out front and down the street of that other drummonds place of business with the cooking show. Get up some gumption and guts and start raising awareness will you? NAACP would have been up in arms and all over this to make sure it got national news while you guys sit there and pick up a new bag of chips.
DeleteI'm sure the Lynchin starts at home, of course it is a figure of speach...From the M.C to the Chief to the BIA to the DOI pass one around should they fall 99 billon should settle this all.
DeleteGentner Drummond is listed as a DIRECTOR & EXECUTIVE OFFICER of CitizensBank in Tulsa, Pawhuska and Cleveland Oklahoma. Picket there too in all locations. I wouldn't put or leave my money in any bank with someone who is a Director or an Executive Officer who is this reckless where the predominate business of an entire county is so negatively impacted as a direct result of their actions in or out of Court. I would move all my money away to another financial institution as soon as humanly possible. That's what I would do and I wouldn't have to think twice about it.
Deletehttps://www.cboktulsa.com/directors-executive-officers.htm
I couldn't agree more..Im not home to picket because i would stand proud you guys back home have to walk the talk and represent what is near and dear to the lively hood the fabric of who we are as a people. these work over permits is paramount to maintaining production and some major..so why would the BIAis withhold the workover permit for what reason till the case is settled? This is all going to blow up in the face of the M.E should no other outcome be as settled by the HPP. Whos protecting the Interst at the highlest level and should be Shame on the BIA on all levels.
DeleteWhen you view this in totality, alot of entities are furious with the BIA. Mr. Drummond seeing from his perspective has a vested interest and the Domino effect is having on his Banks. Everyone who has ties to the Estate via one way or another are in the same boat. Look from with in not everyone is your enemy.The BIA holds the trust and once again they will not be able to speak of because the fire storm of evidence surmounting.
DeleteGentner Drummond is also the largest franchisee of U.S. Cellular phones. Any store in NE Oklahoma most likely belongs to Gentner. If you have a US Cellular phone, trade it in.
DeleteMore places to stop doing business with --->>>
Deletehttp://www.tulsapeople.com/Tulsa-People/July-2015/Gentner-F-Drummond/
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/gentner-f-drummond/36/496/7b1
I still will hold my reservations about Mr.Drummomd. Had we a dialog with the Ranchers on some heavy topics I would be inclined now to to listen..hes a Business man and so should lthe M.C behave in the same manor not everyone is threat. There are two sides folks..He's been here and seen it all..for a very long time snd I got a pretty good idea he can read between the lines. And I'm sure he can give a few good tips not what to do..It would be interesting if he should post on this site. I'm pretty sure he wants us to be successful because that means his banks are successful.
DeleteNote from Osage Blog Housekeeping: Please keep your comments in line and under the lead topic comment by clicking on the reply button.
ReplyDeleteLol i have no idea how my post went to 12:21 pm wind development reply please adjust to the post at 10:59 pm new western energy post much appreciate.
DeleteChief Standingbear has decided to charge the shareholders for certain functions that have been performed free of charge in the past. Accounting pays our bills, the IT dept. provides technical computer support and the janitor provides cleaning services.
ReplyDeleteBeginning October 1 the shareholders will be charged for these services and others unless we contract these ourselves.
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The shareholders were never compensated for the properties that were theirs. The Osage Nation should pay the shareholders
rent for using all properties that are rightfully properties of the shareholders.
I agree. It was a hostile takeover by the Osage Nation government of trust property in control of and administered by the Minerals Council. Reparations should be in order for every building the Council oversaw and used for minerals business from the very beginning. This should recapture any casino taken into trust by the Federal government. Seek a determination by the BIA in their court first and go from there. I am dead tired of all these takings.
DeleteSo say I, lets say we do!
DeleteA few years ago Congressman Raymond Redcorn wanted to tax the M.E. and now Standingbear wants to charge the Shareholders for services? I’m not surprised. The ONG wants to obtain the M.E. revenue one way or another.
DeleteThe ONG is losing money through fraud, waste and abuse. The Casinos revenue is the ONG’s piggy bank to raid for political and personal gain to benefit particular Osages. But the piggy bank is running dry and the M.E. is targeted to be the insurance policy to buffer and support this soon to fail debacle of an Indian government.
As I said before, the ONG is a bureaucracy merely for the sake of bureaucracy. It will consume everything in its path to control all things Osage. The people who created this government have become very wealthy at the expense of the Shareholders and Osages in general and those running this government is ruining what insignificant reputation the Osages have with other capital enterprises, the general public, and other governments.
As usual per the typical attacks, there are people on this blog who are calling the Shareholders greedy, lazy, and paranoid. Yeah, we heard it all before in the previous Shareholder blog when Chief Gray was holding his illegal election to enact this de facto government. We tried to warn everyone that this disgraceful act of tyranny was going to happen. But we were met with accusations and disdain and some of us were called some very nasty names for trying to protect the M.E. from the ONG.
The 1906 Act is still the law. It still trumps any tribal law. The issue is that the ONG and the BIA merely ignore this inconvenient truth in order to overthrow the Shareholders once and for all. The Shareholders can and eventually will prevail but there are three or more M.E. Council members and certain ONG politicians who are committed to conquering the Shareholders rights and then handing the M.E. over to the ONG. I’m not sure what these people are getting paid for their treachery but their common sense and reputations mean nothing to them.
This is no surprise and I think it's just the first shot being leveled at the shareholders assets. It's going to start with this, charges for service, next will be fees on every aspect of conduct of our business both for annuitants and producers, and finally there will be a personal tribal income tax on our headright income.
DeleteWow...
DeleteI've got to say, that other than the interest on headright money, it's exempt by law from Federal taxation. The Osage Constitution prevents any law from being enacted that conflicts with Federal law so the Osage Nation therefore can't enact laws that make headright income subject to taxation and this will be true as long as the OME income trust continues forward intact and as is. If the State of Oklahoma comes in to begin governance and the trust is terminated then it will be another story all together. From what is being posted on another informative facebook page, the Chief has written that he is headed to Washington D.C. to head off a challenge put forward by the State of Oklahoma. Where it gets sticky is the oil and gas producers are in a fight for their lives and they are not going to take his lying down. From what I am hearing now, first worse case is the Osage Nation running the Minerals Estate under some kind of compact or forming a series of corporations or LLCs like the Utes. First worse case is intolerable from their point of view because of our business track record. Second worse case is having to try to operate under the new CFRs and continue on with the BIA under the new set of regulations (CFRs, NEPA, Fish and Wildlife) that they believe will put them out of business, if not now, eventually. I believe the Chief made a terrible misstep when he clarioned it out that he and the Nation were going to develop the Mineral Estate that looked to many Headright owners like he was initiating the final phase of the plan for a hostile takeover of the Minerals Estate and to crush the Minerals Agency and the Minerals Council right along with it despite the separation of the MA and MC in the Osage Constitution. This belief has been furthered in the last year by the harassing lawsuits that he has been reported to be be behind against the members of the Minerals Council filed by the AG much the same as Chief Gray did with the Osage Congress when he as in office to try to bring them to heel. This has frightened everyone and thrown the oil and gas producers back in the camp of the State of Oklahoma. He's going to to Washington on Sunday to try and sort this out. We have begged, pleaded, cajoled, jumped up and down and eventually screamed bloody murder at the Osage Nation government to clean up their act and stop acting like juveniles 3/4rs of the time with the way they spend money, grow the government, invest in diversification of our gaming proceeds along with other sources of revenue and to hold people accountable for the wrong they do. No one in the working world would ever want a government organization to govern our OME that has manifested itself the way these goverment Osages have run our new democracy with all warnings, pleadings and everything else that has been ignored because many of us who have become members are not "insiders" and not "real Osages." Now, as a result, their folly has finally come home to roost. I hope the Chief can save the day because of all of the changes he's made but he will have to knuckle down and get this new government to start behaving like a real one and not some kind of parlor game.
Deleteyoure right there. its been a Monopoly on stupidity if ever there was one
DeleteLeadership starts with the M.C, the Chief, did he go with Waller in tandum to show unity, cohesiveness a party to a concensus that could possibly show or formulate in the near future? If not the Chief has mud on his face..the 1906 Act requires 8 council memebers, did not one member or was not one member asked to attend in Washington? Other than a politician going to Washington has a Shareholder gone to Washington to share the other Voice from their perspective? Ah, I think and hope SENATOR Imhof, I hope he is reading all these comments..The moment we became a Nation is when the Corruption started..its hard to look at it..60,000000 that we know about is gone, to the competive laws broken, to the five man board, to the x Chief RedEagle, over build of the Casinos, to the loss of the Osage LLC to an an Airpark and Recreational Park that are just money pits..Who did the diligence? And who was responsible, the Executive? To think I wanted to go into the video business with the Osage..now disolved..Had all my ducks lined up even was going to take to another step including dog patrol, to armored cars...Hollywood lined up..and then some. Office aligned, proxy reports and then some...I even was getting a contract with foot patrol as well...to find out it was corrupted. Now you know why there is Great harm brought to the Estate and to our Tribe...now you know why Western Energy Bailed for more than one reason. Nobody mining the Camp sorta speak. No leadership. Just an observation. I'm glad I didn't get in bed with the Enemy and I am Osage..My profits would have come back to you, not this bloated Government of no accountability. Just my observation.
DeleteOf serious note are the most recent comments from the Chief on OSAGE FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY at https://www.facebook.com/groups/234024393278360/
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this comments on facebook ,it was hard to greet this new day.while the inter-fighting among the Osage continue,forces move against the Osage.How bad the conditions are,is not known,but our Chief is not just standing around it seems.For a few decades,I have watched him from afar and truly believe today,he is the best Osage we have to carry our Great Osage Seal.
DeleteThis IS a possibility. Congress wants out of the "Indian" business.
DeleteNo disrespect sir, but I have studied the Politics of our Tribe and since we became a Nation, its like the black plague has shattered our way as a Indian Tribe of builders, lost the ties of communication in translation, we have become a Lawyer Nation. Many as My self realize that after we lost the Reservation case which should be re-visited, because in every text book in America just about disputes the Court of opinion. I know for a fact not everyone (Shareholder's ) like myself did not get a chance to vote for this New Nation. At the time when we became a Nation I had inquired, how did this happen? Everyone was notified or got there ballet thru the Osage News..I didn't subscribe. No accident there In any event at all costs a Phone call and letter head should have been sent in tandum, this did not happen. So, I said this can't be all abd because that Per-Cap can go out to our people and there will be accountability. I asked Chief Gray personally, Chief how about that Per-Cap, smiles said when Government gets organized. ..Really? Do I look like I have stupid written on my forehead? That meant never..Here comes Government bloat, here comes spending, fruad without the harsh punishment because of the cronyism is knee deep..This Government of people are caught in a tale spin of corruption happening before their faces and all the can say is lets be diligent because we don't want the sane thing to happen again as in the OLLc with really not holding themselves accountable. And worse of all, they are Osage..Let me tell you a Story, Short..we as a Shareholder and a few, including a Chief..the Discussion, The original plan, was to share a Per-Cap by the development of the Casinos. Because the asset of the M.E which helped develope the "Casino's ", we could not share by design, but the asset could be shared with other Osages..Membership at the time was in the what 5000 or so..correct me if I am wrong on that..it was to be used to develop not create a Government of wealth..Many are disappointed and now the call to do is right is falling on deaf ears...we have the resources. So John if you have a better solution. I want to hear it? I am accountant my ties are as deep as they can be with our Tribe, The Osage..would my vote made a difference, you bet it would have, but I do not know for sure, but we will never know for sure because that choice was taken away with that one Phone call ,right Redcorn.It is my belief the Elders and I had one heavy influence in my life was my Grandmother and she hated the Government, the one thing we became, so you tell me some truths.I just did. I'm not one to point the finger, it is not our way or my way, anybody who knows me Iiwalk the truth and I would give the shirt off my back..just don't lie. I'll walk away. My Grandmother I gaurd her words as much as my fathers..
DeleteWhat does that mean Indian Business lol?
DeleteJust what is says. The U.S. Congress has the plenary power over the Native American Tribes and if the DOI/BIA can't get it together to run things properly, they don't want to have to be subject to more lawsuits and settlement payouts because of continued violations of the fiduciary trust relationship on the part of the U.S. Executive Branch.
DeleteJohn, going forward do not post personal information to this Blog; SS#, Osage Nation membership numbers and the like. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Who would post ss#? And what is so bad quoting Membership numbers?
DeleteWe don't want privacy protected personal information like that posted here. Our Blog, our rules. It's dangerous to post information like that when identity theft is so prevalent coming from the internet as is without putting it out there to the entire world.
DeleteThk u :)
DeleteThe Minerals Council meeting is due to start in a few minutes. See https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
ReplyDeleteOnline now with Kathryn Red Corn speaking and discussion ongoing about inviting the Chief to come together with the Minerals Council.
DeleteMoving along with the Agenda at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/minerals-council-agenda-july-17
DeleteIn Executive Session.
DeleteThe meeting is back online.
DeleteDue to poor sound quality, I couldn't understand what Shane Matson advised the MC of. What did he say?
DeleteShane Madson with the Osage Producers Association categorically denied that the OPA is involved with trying to get the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to run things in Osage County. He was asked to put that in writing and he said he would do so, if I heard him correctly. So much background noise and everyone talking over everyone makes it very hard to hear what is going on in the meeting.
DeleteThanks for clarifying. I'm surprised he personally appeared before the MC just to state that information. If the MC wanted to know they could have just called him on the phone.
DeleteObviously it must be people who belong to this organization who are acting alone. We might not be getting the full story on the Washington D.C. trip from the Chief who has wanted to put in a Federally Chartered Corporation that may be able to compact the Mineral Estate and maybe he's still carrying on about that which would involve the ONES, LLC. This thing is getting as hot as Havana before Castro took over. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Headright owners are sitting around twisting their hankies like it's an Osage version of Anton Chekhov's, "The Cherry Orchard" and the axe is about to fall.
DeleteI smell the last phase of the minerals estate coup d'état about to take place.
DeleteCorrection, I believe it's spelled Matson. My apologies.
DeleteThe one thing that will stand in the Chief's way for any plans of a Federally Chartered Corporation is that the Osage are not eligible. You can read the Indian Reorganization Act and the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act to see the provisions for forming such corporations and the list of excluded tribes, which includes the Osage.
DeleteThank you. This is good information. I remember that there was some talk about a public trust when Hepsi and the OGRC were working on the Constitution. Is this a possibility and if so, how would that work if you know? Some people will get after me about exploring these options but I think forewarned is forearmed. We don't want any surprises with the Osage Nation coming forward apologetically to the shareholders with negative information about the future of the M.E.Trust at some point and then dropping a bomb, figuratively speaking, right in our midst.
DeleteWhat I think is to have a healthy attitude of skepticism, and try not to assume..we do know this much we are What I believe to be armed with some really good Policies to protect..and knowledge is Power..and the Nation if the Nation suggests or winks another eye our way, my hope is they come to the table..bring suggestions as opposed to working i directly a huge mistake and conflict of interest. Their is enougn of us that will challenge and fight the good fight to protect and are willing to battle this if it takes years..hope not we don not have to take this path...so nice to hear that they the Nation caanot hold a Federal Charter.
DeleteMust forgive me a bit today.My mom's little one passed away this morning and I've just finished laying him to rest among the others who have been a part of our lives.Coming home from the vet before the beginning of a new Osage day,I read the above post concerning commits of the Chief on facebook,so it was very hard to greet the new Osage day,both had the same effect.Quoting a membership number was just that,way over 19,000 have been granted membership out of over 26,000.That proves how concerned Osage are.
ReplyDeleteBuck up buddy. If things fall apart like it starting to look like now, you'll have a lot more to feel bad about down river.
DeleteAnd writing of Cuba, I spoke with Eddy Red Eagle recently about the opening up of Cuba and that it may provide a unique investment opportunity for those with gaming experience. I bought an extremely well written and fascinating book on the subject, "Havana Nocturne" that read like gangbusters, in fact, it's about Meyer Lansky and the Mob and how it owned Cuba and lost it to Revolution. Surprisingly enough, (and tell me the timing on this isn't weird) Fidel Castro has a history with Native American Tribes going way back into the early 1960's as featured by this article, "When Mad Bear Met Fidel: How Castro’s Cuba Advanced Native Sovereignty." Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/14/when-mad-bear-met-fidel-how-castros-cuba-advanced-native-sovereignty-161064 American owned Corporations may have a difficult time going into Cuba because the public is still so divided on this issue. This likely won't be the same for Native American Sovereign Nations and Tribes. Havana was the playground of the rich and famous and was destined to become the most fabulous resort island in the Caribbean Antilles. It's reputation has now reached mythic proportions and there are those in this world who would love to see it restored to its former glory. It has been featured in films like "The Godfather II," "Havana," and "The Lost City." "Havana" is not a great film even though it's got a laundry list of superb actors. All the same, for some reason it's still one of my favorites. It has a "Casablanca" type of plot and it's set against the backdrop of the last week or so before the fall of Cuba to Fidel and the abdication of Fulgencio Batista. It also has the benefit of having my very favorite lines in a movie: "There's nothing like a woman...they love men. Even jerks. The biggest jerk you ever knew somehow has a woman that's nuts over him. Women are perfect. The rest...is bullshit."
ReplyDeleteIf Raul and Fidel Castro are game to get back into that high roller world again, big money will be made for a chosen few who are there to get them back in the Casino business...
Building and using Foreign Trade Zones are a Osage option.Just one thought is Placing the OME into a FTZ status,how this would change current conditions concerning just oil and gas production and possible processing.Osage sovereignty and FTZ sovereignty is much alike and can be refined to work together most profitably. accountability and transparency is mandatory in any FTZ
ReplyDeleteAs US energy output surges, efforts to lift decades-old oil export ban of the 1970's is close to becoming a reality. And I look at our reality and I ask where are we at, I ask why we are where we are at? And the reality is, Much to do with the North Dakota "Baken" is a good reality..our reality :( Had we had A full running Petroleum Office , I kid you not if we were staffed with a Legal Dept..to handle damge control, because I kid tou not, the Energy Sector by all means is a close community. The worse you can do is to say nothing and hpoe for the best outcome...
ReplyDeleteI just checked out a FB site and the Chief is acting like he's lost his mind, calling for everyone to start thinking about suing one another but who specifically, he does not say, asking people what the Minerals Councils legal plans are if the legal action in Federal Court when he knows that the their attorney has the MC to remain silent and not discuss any of the plans or future plans legally. He's acting like a loose cannon out there who has completely lost control of the situation and of himself. This is entirely inappropriate behavior on his part and he must desist with it immediately and get himself back in hand, This frightening behavior feeds right into the need for a choice for the US Congress to make changes to the trust on behalf of the entire County before it all goes out of control. This is uncalled for and must stop right now for the sake of all Osages who have a headright interest. I am dumbfounded that he is even capable of this kind of intemperate behavior in his official capacity of the Chief of the Osage Nation.
ReplyDeleteThis cannot continue. For the sake of everyone and every single party and person involved, we must get the Chief and the MC into professional arbitration as soon as possible before the Osage income trust is destroyed forever.
DeleteThis Chief is very sane. It is the Osage County Cattlemans' Assoc. and the Osage Producers' Assoc. who have led the MC right into the predictiment we are in. And now the MC will have to admit they were wrong if they were to try to fix anything. Think they will do that? Hardly.
DeleteWe had better wish the Chief good luck and say some prayers for him. If he can't turn Inhofe and Lankford around, they will break the Trust and we will lose our Mineral Estate. That's exactly what the OCCA and the OPA are hoping for. Wake up!
This thread is now closed. Go to: http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/osage-shareholder-matters-july-2015-ii.html
ReplyDelete