MRP 259: Listener Questions - September 2024

In this episode we answer listener questions submitted by Jacob, Jean, Steve, Suzyyne, Lydia, and Jill. We cover topics like using the Texas Railroad Commission GIS to check for leases, understanding changes in mineral rights fractions over generations, forming LLCs to manage family mineral interests, navigating competing operator interests, and dealing with inheritance and researching missing royalties, and more!

Some of the listener questions in this episode are addressed in my Mineral Management Basics online course, from how to read a legal description, how to perform a title search, and how to identify nearby oil and gas activity, and how to determine if you should be getting paid on a well.

Thanks again to everyone who left a review or who submitted a question! If you have a question about your minerals or royalties, you can send it to feedback@mineralrightspodcast.com , and who knows, we might just answer it on the air!

If this has been helpful, please take a moment and leave us an honest rating & review on Apple Podcasts. This feedback really helps keep us going and helps make sure that we are putting out content that is tailored to your needs.

Listener Question #1

Hi Matt and Justin, thanks for this, great information. I have land in Texas and I’m checking the RRC GIS, but I don’t see anything to click on at my site. Does this mean there are no leases whatsoever? Is there another way to check to make sure I’m not missing out on royalties?

Jacob

Listener Question #2

Matt,

I have been told my grandmother’s mineral rights were changed from 1/4 to 1/14. My great-grandmother owned the land and minerals. She gave them to her two sons when she died. The sons gave them to their wives when they died. I don’t understand how those mineral rights changed from the 1/4 to 1/14

Can you explain this to me?

Thank you,

Jean

Listener Question #3

Hi Matt,
I’m new to this whole area. I was just contacted by a landman in WV who has a deed of sale from 1949 with my dad’s name on it. He was one of 12 signatories who sold 17 acres, but retained the mineral rights. The landman seems to be working directly with the other 11 heirs. I’m wondering if I should be proactive and contact the heirs and form an LLC to then go back to the landman and either lease or sell our rights?? Seems like its smack in the middle of the Marcellus Shale… Wondering how to determine how profitable this whole investment of time and energy might be…
Steve

Listener Question #4

Hello,
What happens if I sign a lease for 5 acres with Ascent Resources but a competing operator has enough acreage to form a DPU and my land is contained within that pool?

Can the competitor treat my land as a non-leased portion of the pool and pay no royalties from production?

Or would they seek to purchase my lease from Ascent?

Thank you.
Suzyyne

Listener Question #5

Hi Matt,
I inherited mineral rights a few years ago and have been keeping good records since then, both paper files and Excel spreadsheets. Then, two months ago, one of the county tax offices found some back taxes due from my great grandfather from 2019-2020—that was for 2 wells I had never heard of! So, after some digging, phone calls, and providing lots of documents, I have now signed a DO, and I am expecting some suspense money and a monthly royalty.
But that started me on a major research project!
What exactly do we own? (Deeds, Wills, Leases and family tree research)
Where exactly are those properties? (Texas RRC site)?
Are there other ‘hidden’ wells that I’m not aware of?
How in the world do I know if my decimal amounts are correct?
I’ve watched many YouTube videos and read many articles and I realized how much I don’t know!!
Many thanks to you and other experts who share knowledge! I’m learning new pieces to the puzzle every day. I’m on a mission now to study and research several hours a day to understand how to actively manage my mineral ownership!
Thank you,
Lydia

Listener Question #6

I am a mineral owner by inheritance as my father was a geologist; also, I am the trustee/executor of both parents’ estates. I am still wrestling with ownership transfers and division order changes on some aging leases plus a new division order that just came in under my dad’s name. The third paragraph of your email referencing the effective date of transfer caught my immediate attention. In my experience, lawyers are a mixed bag as far as help, even the ones who have “done oil work before’ in Texas. Nevertheless, I retain one to cover my legal responsibilities to the estates and pass everything through his office.

Once I complete the remaining 2023 paperwork for my accountant, I’m interested in diving into your website offerings. I know just enough to know I don’t know enough at this point.

Thanks,
Jill

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Mineral Rights Education

Mineral Rights Inheritance

Mineral Rights Research

Books

Never Split the Difference by former FBI Hostage Negotiator Chris Voss is THE book on negotiation.

How to Make Sure You are Getting Paid Correctly

How to Negotiate a Lease / Pooling

Thanks for Listening!

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