Is there a good place for a beginner to go (just inherited old family rights responsibilities) to grasp some of the basics so I’m not bothering y’all with a million basic questions?
Thanks in advance.
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Depends on what you want to learn as to where you need to go to get the best answers. I’m happy to chat with you and answer your questions, no matter how basic.
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NARO is a good source of information, from newsletters to state and national conventions. Much depends on state where minerals are located as laws vary greatly. Post your state(s) and you will get more specific suggestions. First step for all mineral owners is to gather and organize all deeds, leases, division orders and other materials. Then you can create spreadsheets for different lands.
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@ffm , check the Mineral Help tab at the top of the forum page…Oil & Gas 101.
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Start with the Mineral Help tab at the top!
The National Association of Royalty Owners is an excellent resource. www.naro-us.org. They have chapters covering all of the oil & gas producing states, webinars, seminars, classes, conventions, etc.
A great book is “Money in the Ground”.
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@ffm Welcome to Mineral Ownership!
You are not alone. There are so many great mineral owners out there ready to network and hold your hand through this transition in your life. If your ownership is in Texas, I’d like to be the first to invite you to join NARO-TX, the Texas Chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners that @M_Barnes mentioned above. I am the current President and here to tell you that we are doing a lot in Texas to teach mineral owners about getting educated about their minerals and advocating for their rights. There are 2 - count em 2 - half day classes at the Texas Convention this year aimed at newbies. You can check out the agenda for the convention, get your hotel reservation, and register at NARO - National Association of Royalty Owners - 2026 NARO Texas Convention You can become a member when you register. Tell them the Texas President sent you and get an additional $25 off your first year of membership.
Thanks and Welcome!
Lana
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Putting in a plug for NARO-OK. We have our convention coming up June 23-25 in OKC. Classes for newbies, classes for more experienced folks and a great line up of speakers, plus the informal networking and meeting people just like yourself gets you farther ahead in your mineral journey. I am the OK Chapter President and here to help. We can also give an additional $25 off your first year.
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It would be so wonderful if those seminars were made available to those of us who are not able to attend. I would be glad to pay a fee to be able to access it.
Thanks, I just ordered the book!
I just looked up the book and wonder how relevant it is in 2026 since it was written so long ago. Is there a good book on contemporary gas exploration and the process to get it to market?
Apparently I can’t send a private message to you, so let me know how to proceed. Here’s what I typed up:
First, thanks for the offer. My grandmother had properties in TX (mostly), NM (currently only place making money), OK, and WY. I’m managing my mother’s trust, which is 50% ownership. The other half is managed by Bank of America.
Arena Resources, based in PA, offered a lease for $100/acre and 16% royalty on the Wyoming property, in Niobrara County. I gather from what I see in discussions that there’s a way to look up how much activity there is in a particular area, etc.? I know I’m just getting the sales pitch at his most advantageous rates, but what I don’t know is how hard I can (or should) push for more.
Additionally, just in general in terms of holding all these deeds (and I’m concerned that I don’t actually HAVE the deeds - still working on that with BOA), is there anything I should be doing beyond waiting for calls and collecting (and writing) checks?
We do have one well that was making the most money, but it is set up as a working interest, and currently the cost and the income are cancelling each other out. They appear not to have sent invoices to BOA in years, but kept sending checks? In any case, do I have any control over whether I keep this lease if the costs are outweighing the income? I’m sure it’s complicated by oil prices, and the one upside of things at the moment is those are up, so maybe we’ll make money again, but if we were to be regularly in the hole, what is my recourse?
I so appreciate your time.
ffm
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So, these are all terrific recommendations. Much appreciated. For context, although we own property in TX, WY, NM, and OK, the total income is exceedingly small, so I’m trying to balance time and effort spent with the benefits I’ll gain. @crb80 I’ll probably take you up on your offer to start. Thank you.
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Just checking in on my reply below?
I don’t know much about leasing rates outside of Texas… I would say take the lease. Make a counter offer but be willing to negotiate. Leased acreage is more valuable than not getting it leased. Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. I was out of town and offline for a little over a week.
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The book is still relevant. If you are a NARO member, they just put on a great webinar on gas transportation. You get the webinars for free as a member.
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