Learn the Value of Your Mineral Rights & List for Lease for Free

You can list your mineral rights for lease on LandApp's marketplace for free. There are no obligations to accept any offers. Find your parcel/s on our map on desktop or on our free mobile app, then go through the listing process steps to publish your listing. Interested developers will contact you directly with offers.

An oil and gas royalty is a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the oil and gas produced on your land. A royalty is usually described in the lease as a fraction, such as 1/8th. If a well is successfully drilled by the operator (lessee), the mineral owner will receive an oil and gas royalty payment every month for as long as there is production on the leased lands or being allocated to the leased lands.

To determine if you own mineral rights, start by checking your property deed for any mention of them. If the deed isn't clear, conduct a title search by reviewing public land records at the county recorder's or clerk's office. You can research mineral rights yourself, or for more complex cases, hire a landman or real estate attorney specializing in mineral law to help.

Surface rights and mineral rights refer to different ownership interests in the same piece of land.

• Surface rights give the owner control over the land’s surface and what’s on it. This includes the right to build structures, farm or ranch, harvest timber, and use the land for recreation or development. Essentially, surface rights cover everything you can see and use above the ground.

• Mineral rights grant ownership of the minerals beneath the land’s surface, such as oil, natural gas, coal, metals, or other extractable resources. The mineral rights owner can explore for and produce these resources, even if they do not own the surface land.

The value of mineral rights isn’t fixed- it fluctuates depending on several key factors. Whether you’re interested in selling, leasing, or simply knowing what you’ve got, the elements that matter most are location, production status, market conditions, active leases, and future development potential. You can receive a free mineral rights lease estimate by getting a free LandApp Property Report.

Mineral owners can find their property on LandApp's map to get a free Property Report and see the estimated value of their oil and gas rights on a dollar per acre ($/acre) basis. This estimate can be used to help mineral owners make well-informed decisions regarding the lease or sale of their oil and gas rights.

Mineral owners should consider using an attorney to review the legal documents for the lease or sale of their minerals. If you do not know of an attorney, LandApp can refer you to an attorney in your state specialized in oil & gas transactions.

An overriding royalty interest (ORRI) is similar to a royalty interest in that it is also a portion of the proceeds from the sale of production. However, it is not retained under the terms of the oil and gas lease. An ORRI is granted, assigned and created under the terms of a separate document.

An oil and gas lease bonus is a one-time payment made to the mineral rights owner when the oil and gas lease is signed. Mineral royalty is a portion of the proceeds from the sale of production which is paid monthly to the mineral rights owner. The royalty is usually described in the lease as a fraction such as 1/8th, or 1/6th.

Mineral rights tend to be most valuable in parts of the U.S. where there is active or highly prospective oil, gas, or mineral production, strong infrastructure, and favorable geology. The top regions where mineral rights are most valuable include Texas (Premian Basin and Eagle Ford), North Dakota, and New Mexico.

A formal mineral appraisal is not necessary to create a listing on LandApp's marketplace. Ultimately, the decision to get a mineral appraisal should be based on the specific circumstances, financial goals, and preferences of the landowner.

It is recommended that landowners consult with professionals such as mineral appraisers, land agents, or legal advisors who specialize in mineral rights to determine the true value of their mineral rights. However, utilizing LandApp’s free property report is the easiest way for landowners to estimate the value of their minerals.

Mineral rights ownership on a property is often different from surface ownership. While the original landowner may have owned both the surface and mineral rights, these rights can be segmented, severed, or sold. Typically, a surface owner will own the entire surface. Oftentimes, the mineral rights on a parcel are owned by multiple people, so it is possible that you also own the mineral rights with other mineral owners.

You can check if you own the mineral rights at your county clerk's office. You may need to trace the full history of your ownership through all the deeds and see if the minerals on your property (or part of them) have ever been ‘reserved’ when the property was sold or transferred. It would look something like “Reserve Minerals” on the Deed. If you see the minerals have been reserved in the conveyance of the title, it is likely that you don’t own them anymore. This process is called running title, which can be very complex and is usually handled by a professional landman.

No, LandApp does not have mineral rights ownership information. You can find surface land owners nationwide with LandApp Pro.

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