The Lea County has two Title Companies, one is across the street from the Lea County court house in Lovington, which is the county seat. The other title company (same company that is in Lovington) is in Hobbs.
You go to the title company and go through their title books for your location.
It can be frustrating because a LOT of the land men that are ALSO doing research and can tie up the book you want to use. But even a land man goes to lunch and can’t take the book with them and that is your chance to look up your property.
My wife and I have spent the past two year doing research on our mineral rights in Lea county. We have a tendency to look up what we need in the title company’s title books and that gives you a book and page that you take the two book and page numbers over to the county court house, go into the records department and ask them NICELY to show you where the books are (they are on one side of the room). First time around, it seems fairly daunting, but after that first time, it gets easier and easier.
Then you start your search. You will want to know how your family came to own the land, do you still own the land or was it sold. If it was sold, did they also sell the mineral rights. If they did not, your warranty deed will say “Surface Only” which means exactly what it says, your family still holds the mineral rights because they only sold the land, not the minerals under the land.
That is but the very first step.
My wife and I have done these particular steps numerous times over the past two years. We have learned more about my family and how we came to own the mineral rights we own.