Received Oill & Gas Lease for Mineral Rights I did not know that I owned

Chris G. Waite · 2015-06-11T03:28:25Z

Last week I was contacted by John H. Linton of LoneTreeEnergy & Associates about a 3-year lease which they would like me to sign for the mineral rights on a property that my adopted parents once owned. They claim that I have 8.3 acres of mineral rights to a piece of property just east of Cheyenne, Wyoming, which transferred to me when my adopted mother passed away in the early 1970s. I found this site and was able to glean some generic information about leases but still have many questions. I've sent a few to Mr. Linton, but I don't know him or his company. I believe he said that he is brokering this deal for EOG Resources, Inc., so I am sure that he has his and their interest well ahead of mine. So I wanted to ask some questions from some knowledgeable people who don't have a vested interest in the outcome of this lease. Thank you for sharing any time that you can. I do not know who might own the surface rights to this area, but I really doubt that it is me. I live and work in Indiana and can't travel to the Cheyenne Assessors office to determine who might control the surface rights. I would also like to verify that I actually do have the mineral rights before signing any sort of lease. Is there any way for me to find this information out without making a trip to Cheyenne? The lease itself looks to be rather generic. From your Mineral Help area, I was able to spot many of the items that were discussed and know that I need some legal assistance before signing this lease. I have contacted a local attorney who deals with business contracts but not gas and oil leases specifically. They haven't responded back, so I am taking that as a hint that they don't feel qualified to handle the issue. Should I seek out some legal representation in Cheyenne to handle this? I really don't want to spend any more money than I have to, but a small investment now might make a big difference in the future. Any other information or advice would be greatly accepted.

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