The 200% Carry: New Mexico’s Forced-Pooling Sting
Think ignoring a lease offer in New Mexico protects your minerals? Learn how the state can force you into a deal with a 1/8 royalty and a massive penalty.
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The Mineral Rights Journal
Expert insights to help mineral owners make informed decisions
The Tax Before the Check: How Kansas Takes Its Cut First
Kansas can take severance tax out of your royalty money before you ever get paid. Here is how K.S.A. 79-4222 taxes frozen suspense accounts.
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The Unleased Owner Tax: No Lease, Still Deducted
How Louisiana operators force you into a unit, sell your gas without a lease, and then fight you in court over the deductions.
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The Lease You Never Got to Negotiate
How the executive right holder in Texas can sign the mineral lease, keep the bonus, and drag you along for the ride.
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The State Is Your Secret Mineral Partner
Why your 'private' West Texas minerals might actually belong to the State—and what the Relinquishment Act means for your family's land.
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The 500% Penalty Prairie — How Nebraska Can Force-Pool You and Hold Back Your Share Until the Well Pays Out at 5x
Nebraska's forced pooling laws carry a massive 500% risk penalty for unleased mineral owners. Here is how the math actually works.
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The 3/16 Safety Valve: Alabama’s Weird Forced-Pooling Math
Alabama has a unique forced-pooling law. If you say no, the operator can hit you with a 150% penalty—but they still have to pay you a 3/16 royalty.
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“The Bond-On Threat” — How Utah Lets an Operator Drill Anyway After ‘Good Faith’ Talks Fail
Utah’s Surface Owner Protection Act sounds protective. But when push comes to shove, an operator can post a $6,000 bond and drill on your land anyway.
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“The One-Eighth Fakeout” — How Pennsylvania’s ‘Guaranteed Minimum Royalty’ Still Lets Owners Get Squeezed
Pennsylvania law guarantees a 12.5% minimum royalty. We explain how legal loopholes and the net-back method legally shrink that number.
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The Duhig Guillotine: How One Bad Deed Can Delete Your Mineral Rights
A quirky Texas title rule can automatically erase the minerals you thought your family reserved decades ago. Here is how the math works.
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“The 30-Day Trigger Letter” — How One Certified Demand Can Double Your Royalties in Louisiana
When Louisiana operators stop paying royalties, phone calls won't fix it. Learn how a specific written demand unlocks double damages and forces their hand.
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“Your Check Stub Is a Crime Scene” — North Dakota Makes Bad Royalty Statements a Class B Misdemeanor
North Dakota law gives mineral owners powerful tools to fight bad check stubs, including criminal penalties, audit rights, and high interest rates.
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