Do I own mineral rights?

Jason Jones is my name. I live in KY. For several years I’ve occasionally gotten a letter addressed to Kenneth D Jones at my home address. It was very rare that they showed up and I never even bothered opening them to my recollection. If I did, it was not memorable.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I’ve been getting tons of mail from a lawyers office addressed to Kenneth D. Jones C/O Jason Jones. Letters and packets upon packets about legal hearings for some sort of drilling. I don’t know what is going on because I know nothing about this at all.

Today I opened a letter to Kenneth D Jones C/O Me again from Thundercat Minerals wanting to buy my mineral interest at 27-7N-6W in Grady, OK

I don’t know if there is a mistake or if I’ve inherited some mineral rights. I don’t know how to go about even trying to find out how or why I’m getting all of this stuff lately.

I own in 25-7-6. You are in Project Springboard. It is going to explode for you. I would not sell, worth too much!!!

As you go up the family tree, is there a Kenneth D Jones? And that lived in Grady Co or was a descendant of someone who did. The name is common enough the Landman could have made a mistake. I’ve seen it several times. Genealogy research time.

Contact the attorney that has sent you the letters. Ask them why they think you have the mineral rights. Do you know of a Kenneth D Jones in your ancestry? They have done a title search and for some reason, think that you might be an heir. At this point, do not sell since you do not know that you are actually the owner. Get the title question straight with the Operator that is going to drill the wells first. You may need to sign an affidavit of heirship or tract down some probate documents. If you truly are an heir, their may be funds held in suspense for you, so worth it to contact them! Leave Thundercat on the back burner for a while until you get thoroughly caught up with the situation.

Thanks for the swift replies. My dad, ironically named Kenneth but lives in WV, doesn’t know of any relatives named Kenneth or anyone from Oklahoma. I agree that it’s probably an error but I’d hate to be wrong and actually have inherited the rights somehow. :grin:

So the attorney’s office is probably my best point of contact then?

Start with the attorney sending the packets. They have done a title search for every mineral owner in that section which seems to indicate you or your dad might be an heir. That title search will go back farther than you guys to who passed to whom and who died with a will and who did not. The leasing title search is not always as thorough as the Division Order Title Opinion, but it it how they lease or pool. You can ask for the paragraphs that pertain to your names and they usually will give them to you because they want to contract the proper people. Your dad might recognize some lost uncle or something and it will be good news. If not you, then they need to know it as well.

Are you sure about that location? Maybe 25-7N-6W instead?

Look at this document

Pg 6 number 108 and 109.
Then look carefully through the rest of the names to see if any long lost relative names show up. Agree with M_Barnes to see if they can tell you what names the interest come from. The should be able to tell you each name they show it passing through. Possible a book and page number so you can obtain the document. I just caution you to verify that it all matches with the family history you know to be true. As you see in this document, there are TWO Kenneth D. Jones. Still possible. Maybe I’m always too skeptical, but I’m aware of a few instances where the wrong owner has been credited with ownership. I hope it does belong to you, but proceed carefully.

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Agreed, if you are on a 3/16th wouldn’t sell those minerals in 25 or 27 - 7N - 6W for less than $35,000/net mineral acre

Were any of your grandparents from Oklahoma?

Thanks for the help everyone. The lawyers had me call Continental Resources and they are looking into how they got my name. It may be a few days before I hear back.

I also talked to the Grady County Circuit Clerk office and they had no computer record for me or Kenneth D Jones which I found kinda weird. They said if it was before 1989(?) Then it would be in the books instead of the computer but I’d imagine that’s unlikely as I was only 10 yrs old in 89.

I’ll check back in if I find anything out.

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It would be a parent, grandparent or even further back, and yes, Grady county on line records are only going back to 1989.