Hi everyone! I am new to this group and this is my very first post.
Question: How does one confirm ownership of gas, oil and mineral rights? I have lists of interests located in many different states in the probate records of my grandmother’s estate from when she died in 1987. Those interests were inherited by our father, but he died in 2022. The lists include the county and state, section number, etc. I’m guessing I would need to contact the county to be sure but no exactly sure which department. We are the 4th generation to own the interests and I don’t believe they were ever probated in the various county courts for the 2nd and 3rd generation owners after their deaths. Needless to say, this is a big mess and something we are not at all well versed in. Any help will be very, very much appreciated!
Welcome to the forum. You are in the right place to get help.
It is helpful to make a list of the interests. I sort them by county, then township, then range, then section (or abstract if you are in TX). You can look up each of the counties in the separate states by using the GIS maps and zooming in until you can see if there is a well in your tracts or not. Each state has their own natural resource board website which lists production. This will take some time.
Depending upon the state, you may have to probate in the state of residence for the next two generations and then file “foreign” probate in the other states. There are many comments about that on the forum.
You will have to contact the operators where you find production and find out what they require to get into production.
You need to check the state Treasurer’s sites for unclaimed funds.
Start by reading the Mineral Help Tab above. Then if you have questions, use the magnifying glass at the top right to search keywords. Someone has probably asked your question and you can get started on an answer. If not, then you can start a new topic by state and county. Read the FAQ getting started instructions on the forum.