My family lived in La Salle County for generations, but we are all scattered around the country now. My parents had owned some non-participating mineral rights, which I inherited but was totally unaware of. I recently discovered, by sheer accident, that an oil company had leased these minerals from the executive rights owner. I would never have known and would never have received bonus money had it not been for this accidental discovery. I don't know if the oil company made any attempt to contact me, but if they did, they did not try hard. How do I make sure that my name and address are available to oil companies so that this does not happen again? I don't like the "We couldn't pay you because we couldn't find you" excuse, even though it may be valid in some cases.
I think you could record an affidavit of identity. Those who own surface with minerals or severed minerals should have a deed. Those who search may look in probates. It is troublesome that it may be in the searchers best interest to not find someone, so everyone should do their best to make sure they are easy to find with updated recordings in the county in which the minerals lie.
Yes, you need to record the appropriate document in the county deed records. The type may depend on how the minerals were passed down.
I have seen what's called an "Affidavit of Ownership," wherein the current mineral owner makes a public claim of ownership in a mineral interest, usually including a deed reference to an instrument in the chain of title from which his interest "descends." You should also file an "Affidavit of Heirship" for each one of your parents to document HOW you came to become a current-day owners of a mineral interest if they died in a different county than the one in which you have the mineral interest.