Mr. Backus, your bargaining position may have been hurt, but possibly not. I think your options are to lease to the same company, but if that wasn't agreeable before I see no reason why it would be now. You could lease to a different party, if you come to agreeable terms. If you can't come to terms with some other company, you can wait. The value of the minerals of those who already leased have basically become fixed in time, until the lease ends. Your minerals can continue to appreciate. You could conceivably lease your minerals in a few years for double or 3 times as much as your cousins received, just look at what prices have done in ND since 2008 and are continuing to do. You can't know the full intentions of the LLc your cousins leased to. They may have only been seeking an acreage position so they could sell out at a profit later on, possibly they intend to participate in a well drilled by someone else. In your position, if I didn't see a rig nearby, I'd just wait and see how much my minerals appreciated. I hope your cousins at least get paid, you never know when you are dealing with an LLc. You still have the options you always had.