The Illinois Basin Reality: Valuing and Managing Stripper Well Royalties
A guide to understanding Illinois Basin stripper wells, the Severance Tax Act, and navigating local probate to release suspended royalty funds.
Inherited minerals
Owner research · title · valuation
I inherited minerals
39 articles. Estates, heirs, probate, and interests that go dormant when nobody is watching.
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The Paid-Up Lease Delay Rental Illusion: Why Modern Oil Leases Do Not Pay Annual Checks
Many heirs inheriting modern oil and gas leases expect annual delay rental checks. Here is why paid-up leases eliminate those payments and what it means for you.
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11 on this pageThe silent Bakken sibling: Navigating South Dakota's Red River royalties
Harding County minerals operate under very different rules than North Dakota. Learn how South Dakota taxes, pools, and unitizes Red River formation royalties.
Inherited minerals
Who Owns Geothermal Heat Under Texas Property?
Texas law now separates geothermal energy from oil and gas rights. Here is how this new subsurface split affects mineral owners and family estates.
Inherited minerals
How a 1908 Tax Sale Kept Pennsylvania Mineral Rights Alive
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently confirmed that an historic tax sale maneuvering by a surface owner did not erase a family trust's subsurface mineral rights.
Inherited minerals
The Magic and the Myth of Louisiana’s Judgment of Possession in Mineral Title
A Judgment of Possession collapses decades of Louisiana probate research into a single document. But relying on it without checking the conveyance records is a massive trap.
Inherited minerals
The Memorandum of Lease Blind Spot: Why Hiding Your Custom Addendum Hurts Your Estate
Operators file a Memorandum of Lease to hide your negotiated terms from neighbors. But decades later, that same secrecy can severely penalize your heirs.
Inherited minerals
The Open-Mine Doctrine: Why a Life Estate in Minerals Creates a Family Stalemate
Leaving a life estate in mineral rights seems like a smart way to protect your spouse. But an ancient property law rule can freeze those royalties for decades.
Inherited minerals
Subdivision and Royalty Allocation: Why One Sibling May Receive the Check
When a large Texas ranch is leased and later divided, a single well can leave most of the family with zero royalties. Here is how the math actually works.
Inherited minerals
Texas NPRIs: How Deed Language Can Affect Royalty Rights
Texas law protects Non-Participating Royalty Interest owners from unauthorized pooling, but cashing a check or signing a form can quietly erase those protections.
Inherited minerals
Oklahoma & New Mexico: The BIA Allotment Trust Bottleneck
Why mineral royalties on allotted Indian lands get stuck in federal trust accounts for years, and how the BIA's dual-consent trap complicates leasing.
Inherited minerals
The Dunham Rule: Why Your Pennsylvania 'Mineral' Deed Might Be Worthless
A century-old Pennsylvania law says a deed reserving 'minerals' doesn't include oil or gas. Here is how the Dunham Rule catches modern heirs off guard.
Inherited minerals