Mission Statement

Our principals observed with interest the development of the Pulteney Trend of the Trenton-Black River Play near Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes of South-Central New York State, during the late 1990's. There had been sporadic success drilling to the Ordovician in New York State dating back to the early 1900's, however, these deep formations had not been regularly targeted during the early drilling booms due to the lack of any major successes and the difficulty of drilling to great depths with cable tool rigs. 

The deepest well ever drilled with a cable tool rig in New York State, the Kesselring, had reached the Cambrian but was abandoned as a dry hole. As it turns out, the Kesselring may prove to have been a near miss and might have been the discovery well for the Play, but it would take another 50 years and advancements in drilling techniques before the resource could be successfully exploited.

With the drilling of the PGE Jimerson to establish the Hornby Trend in Chemung County, New York, and the CNR Parker in Roane County, West Virginia, in 1999, it became apparent that the Play showed great promise and might be much more widespread than originally anticipated. Although our principals  already held positions individually and through their affiliates, they decided to form a new company, Black River Royalties, Ltd., in the summer of 1999 to expand on and organize their holdings with an emphasis on the new Play. 

Black River Royalties, Ltd. initially focused on the area of the Hornby Trend, but ultimately has expanded its holdings throughout Central and Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania in anticipation of the future development of the Play. It is now believed that drilling  will continue for many years, attracting many new operators before reaching full development. The mission of the company is to continue to expand on its holdings and to attempt to anticipate the progression of the development of the Play by acquisition of mineral interests and leases in the most desirable locations.