I inherited some mineral rights in Colorado 20 years ago. Been paying taxes all this time. An oil company wants to lease and drill now. The first question i have is what is the longterm liability to me? I know the operator has to get all state permits and bonded and follow all the rules, but what if they cause a problem on the land above that i don’t own, or fail to terminate the well when they finish. Can the mineral owner be held liable?
No, the mineral owner would not have any liability.