Why a Memorandum of Lease is Recorded, Not the Lease

[Buddy_Cotten]

There is also a blog post on this topic from many years ago There might be some different or additional information:

Memorandum of Oil and Gas Lease - Whys and Wherefores

As lease forms become more complicated and longer, it is more the fashion to file a "Memorandum of Oil, Gas and Other Minerals" in the public records where the property is located, in lieu of the original document. Why would an oil company file a lease in the first place? To impart constructive notice to innocent third party purchasers of the existence of such a lease. But has he? It depends on the state. A Memorandum of Lease is not a contract, nor a conveyance, it is only a notice that…