Owner of Family Mineral Rights Deceased With No Known Heirs

Oil and Gas Leasing Help
1

My husband inherited a portion of mineral rights in Oklahoma from his father. The original owner was my husband's uncle, who originally willed portions to four (4) people, including my husband's father. One person's rights were obtained in a divorce decree from 1997. At some point, this person has passed and she had no children. There has been nothing filed with the county courthouse since the 1997 divorce decree. My question is this: is there any way that my husband could now obtain this portion of the family mineral rights if there are no known heirs of the divorcee's? Also, what is the procedure to do this?

Here is another question: one of the other family owners, my husband's aunt, is now in a nursing home and she has not willed her rights to anyone, not even her two children. What happens with her mineral rights?

2

1. The deceased owner, did she have brothers, sisters, cousins, second cousins. Usually, she has some relatives even if distant. The property should go to her heirs, being the distant relatives, if they pursue it.

2. The elderly aunt's mineral rights will go under intestate succession to her children, in all likelihood, upon her death.

3

Tim is correct. The divorcee surely has siblings, possibly parents, and if not cousins that are still alive. There really isn't any way it could go back to the other side (your husbands side) of the family

As far as the elderly aunt is concerned, again, Tim is correct, but if she is still mentally sound, she needs to save her family a future headache and go ahead and deed these minerals to her children now.