How to pass gas lease and royalty interests to heirs

I have small royalty interests in wells in Leon and Wise county Tx,and a lease in Gregg county Tx. What do I need to do to pass these to my heirs? I have a will. Other than filing my will in those counties, what other documents do I need to provide, file or whatever?

Thanks in advance for your consideration,

Joe G

Do not file your Will yet, hopefully you will live many more years. But when that time comes your heirs will need to file Certified Copies of the Application to Probate Will, Order Admitting Will to Probate and the Will itself.

If a company wants more this from your probate file let them get it and pay for it.


Mr Cunningham,

Thanks for your reply. I was thinking I needed to file a conveyance or transfer on death deed or who knows what. Nice to know it's so simple. Are you a oil and gas attorney in case I need help in the future?

Thanks again for your help,

Joe G
Charles Cunningham said:

Do not file your Will yet, hopefully you will live many more years. But when that time comes your heirs will need to file Certified Copies of the Application to Probate Will, Order Admitting Will to Probate and the Will itself.

If a company wants more this from your probate file let them get it and pay for it.

Charles is right, you don't have to file anything yet about your will. But when you don't live in the same county as the county where the minerals are located, transferring ownership via the probate proceedings can be a bit of a hassle for your heirs, especially if they have to go through a lawyer. Another option is to place all of it into a trust with yourself as the beneficiary now and naming your heirs as beneficiary at your death. Or you could convey it to yourself for life and the remainder to your intended heirs and file that for record in the counties of production, it bypasses probate completely that way. However, that Life Estate option has its drawbacks, because you don't have the power to revoke the decision later (which you would be able to do if just through a will or trust).