Risks of Oil & Gas Limited Partnerships and Direct Participation Programs: Understanding Problems and Fraud Patterns, and Your Rights as an Investor
Three distinct categories of oil and gas partnerships carry vastly different risk profiles. Income wells (stripper wells) invest in proven, producing wells and carry lower risk but limited upside. Developmental wells drill near proven reserves at moderate risk. Exploratory wells (wildcats) drill in unproven territory and carry the highest risk — historical failure rates exceed 80% for exploratory drilling — but offer the largest potential tax deductions. This risk gradient is critical to suitability analysis, yet brokers frequently blur these distinctions when selling to investors.
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