4 years ago one of 3 owners of 80 acres sold their 1/3. The company came onto the property and assessed it. The other 2 owners were not notified of his sale or the assessment. Talking to the land owner, they think that since the land runs on both sides of the river that it was not a good possibility that the minerals would be able to be obtained. What are your thoughts?
Generally speaking, surface ownership typically has no impact as to the ownership of the minerals. You will have to perform a title check to determine what (if any) rights are owned by the current surface owners.
My cousins and I are the mineral rights owners of 80 acres, that is until one sold their 1/3 of the mineral rights. The surface owners were the ones that saw the oil company, new owner of the 1/3, on the land 4 years ago and nothing has happened since. We have not been contacted by anyone and they are drilling all around us.
Ms. Archer, A river would likely not stop drilling. In fact rivers are where they are because they are low spots and I have looked at several wells that were the very best in an area that were drilled under rivers. Keep a positive outlook.
Judy,
Assuming you are taking about Weld County Colorado oil and gas mineral rights, be aware that the most likely exploration to include your share of 80 acres lie over 4000 feet below the river including a huge thickness of impermeable Pierre Shale. Neither the river or the surface owner have the slightest effect on the potential for mineral development as it is occurring today in the Weld County area.
For coal mineral rights or for land along the Missouri River in North Dakota mineral right exploitation are a little more problematic. We don't dare talk about uranium.
Gary L Hutchinson
Minerals Managment
River running through property would not (iMHO) have any thing to do with leasing the mineral rights since the formations where oil and gas are found are below several thousand feet below the bottom of the river.
I just now noticed the other replys . If you just own mineral rights you are good to go then the company who may drill in the future has to worry about handling any problems with the river.
Yes mineral rights are in Weld County, just North of the Empire Reservoir.