Where can you find the financial records of companies?

How to find out if there's oil on my land?

• My mother-in-law has land down in Texas that was handed down from her great grandfather (she owns the mineral interest rights). Many years ago some drilling was done and then it was capped off. Most recently an oil and gas company leased the land for the last 3 years and was given permission to put drilling machines on the land. Within the last year, she has gotten several letters from different companies asking her to sell her land. I'm assuming there's something there if there's an interest in buying the land, but we don't know where to start to find out what its worth and if there was anything found. She keeps good records of everything she gets, but in her old age we fear she might make the wrong decision. Is there any way we can find the complete history of this section of land along with any other information on it? Thanks for your help!

• Answer:

  Petroleum Geology has come a long way from the days when one could shot a gun into the ground and crude oil would bubble out. Nowadays, geophysicists use a variety of techniques (such as seismic profiling) to determine structures (called "traps") where petroleum might be located. If you really want to know if the potential for petroleum exists you could hire out a petroleum geologist or geophysicist to survey your property. Other than that, the "shotgun" method is about as reliable (or as unreliable) as any other approach.