Surface Vs Mineral Rights

[ffamom]

What are you all doing to protect your surface rights if you do not own the mineral rights? I read about a dairy farmer that lost everything....coastal fields, irrigation systems, and pen areas. The drilling company placed a well site every two acres, then build roads to get to them.

I read on a question and answer website that if I develop a plan where I plan to build a house every 2 acres and file it with the county, then I only had to allow them 2 per 80 acreas for a well site. I don't plan on developing the land, it is only a future plan to protect my surface rights. For us in North Texas, this is uncharted territory. I haven't contacted an attorney yet, but plan to in the near future. However, it seems that surface rights are not rights at all.

 

[hurleyjd]

I think that the reason you cannot get the minerals any more is that the owners can keep them for ever by just reserving in the deed. They do not have to pay any property tax on them as the surface owner does. The only time they will be taxed is when the wells are drilled and producing. I think they need to be valued before then and property taxes needs to be paid. If the are worth keeping then they need to be taxed as property just like everone else pays that own property. I they were taxed then people might not be as keen on reserving them. Different states may have different laws regarding the minerals. I was only speaking for Texas.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Ok, for us we own the surface, but the guy who sold it kept the mineral rights.
Talked to our lawyer, found out we can put a block on any drilling or mining on our place. So no matter if the other guy does want the drilling we can keep them out of our fields.
The drilling company would have to re-imburse us for any surface damage though.
Rather not have them tearing up our place though.

 

[ffamom]

Here is the story I found:
Gas wells inundate Praireview Dairy

Not a surprise to many, north central Texas is literally buzzing with oil and gas rigs and all the paraphernalia that goes with them. The increasing exploration of fracturing the Barnett Shale in the past four years has quickly become a widespread practice by oil and gas companies who are trying to capture the valuable gas energy source.

But, beware. They may suddenly appear on your doorstep to begin drilling right in the middle of your livelihood.

David Lloyd, owner of Prairieview Dairy, LLC, in Godley, Texas, is suddenly inundated with gas wells, pipelines, and trucks that are seriously hindering his rights as a property and business owner. So far, there are six wells, with three more in the workings. His 350-acre dairy is fast becoming a ‘‘city of lights’’ all of its own and for all the wrong reasons.

Nevermind the fact that Lloyd is trying to tend to his 550 cow milking herd during all the disregard and disruption by the oil company. Nevermind the fact that he was going to install an irrigation system on the very spot that was taken up by a gas well. Nevermind the fact that he had already been approved for EQUIP money by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and ended up losing it.
Lloyd’s dairy is located in Johnson County, situated on one of the hottest drilling spots in central Texas.

The property is leased by the former landowner to a notable oil and gas company that has popped up, along with others, all over the state.

The upshot to all this is if you’re a property owner with mineral rights, and the oil company discovers natural gas, you can make a lot of money. But, if you’re a surface owner with no mineral rights, like Lloyd, you can only sit back and watch your land value plummet while the company invades your property.

The constant disturbance and nuisance by the oil and gas mongers became so overwhelming to Lloyd that he sought the legal help of Fort Worth attorney Jim Bradbury, who is bound and determined to set things right.

‘‘This is not just about the lost Equip money,’’ Bradbury said. ‘‘It’s much bigger than that.’’
Bradbury said the lawsuit is about the oil company’s failure to reasonably accommodate Lloyd’s surface rights. ‘‘Minerals could be extracted with a lot less damage to his property,’’ he said.

Bradbury said so far, there’s no Texas law that protects surface owners from these tragic cases. ‘‘But, we’re hoping to change that.’’

Lloyd grew up in the dairy business near Stephenville and developed a genuine affection for the business over the years. When the trend for dairymen was to go west or to the Panhandle awhile back, Lloyd knew he didn’t want to move to either of those areas. He made a conscious decision to figure out a way to stay in the central Texas area. His reasoning had to do with the quality of life he and his wife Erin, a kindergarten teacher, were accustomed to, and being close to his family members.

Lloyd said his dream was to own a dairy. He and Erin saved as much money as they could and applied for a Young Farmer's loan, which they didn’t get. ‘‘I worked for Monsanto and also on a dairy in Godley for Mr. O’Dowd. When he decided to sell it, I jumped at the chance.’’

Lloyd enlisted the help of his mother and stepfather to form Prairiview Dairy, LLC.

‘‘Without their help, and at my age, I wouldn’t have been able to buy a 750-cow freestall dairy.’’

Little did he know, however, that an oil company would soon come knocking.

‘‘The dairy has been doing great, but I don’t know that it was such a good investment for my family once these wells started being drilled’’ Lloyd said.

‘‘One of the worst things is this oil and gas company ruined my opportunity to build an irrigation system which was why I applied for the EQUIP money.’’ Lloyd said the gas well is too close to where he was going to put in a center pivot system.

‘‘I told them about the irrigation system I planned, but they didn’t care, and they put their well right there anyway. The pivot would only go around about halfway. It just wouldn’t work right and because of that, I lost the EQUIP money.’’

Lloyd said he had to use a different system that includes a $30,000 out-of-pocket hard reel hose. He added that each time he has to change any plans on the dairy, he has to hire an engineer to make sure the TCEQ will accept it.

‘‘All of this has cost money but they really don’t care.’’

Lloyd said the gas wells require a little over an acre of land each. Tons of gravel are moved in for the well pad and pipelines are necessary to transport the gas. Roads are built all over the property for the trucks to get in and out on a daily basis.

‘‘The truck traffic alone is a hazard, creating noise, and keeping the dust and dirt stirred at all times,’’ Lloyd said. ‘‘The peace and quiet is totally disrupted at all hours by a transfer pumping station located nearby.’’

Lloyd said he is compensated $5,000 for each well and also any damage to the property. ‘‘But, that’s only a one-time payment and it’s not near enough.

‘‘When I bought this place, I intended to dairy for another 30 years. But, I don’t know what will happen if they continue to drill these wells.’’

Since the invent of horizontal drilling and ‘‘fracing’’ the Barnett Shale, oil and gas companies have appeared in droves to tap into the available energy source.

The Barnett Shale is possibly the largest onshore natural gas field in the U.S. with 2.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and estimated to contain as much as 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas resources. Oil has also been found in lesser quantities but with high oil prices, it is thought to have sufficient commercial value.
The Barnett Shale is a geological formation estimated in Texas to stretch from Dallas west covering 5,000 square miles and at least 17 counties. It is the second largest oil field in the U.S.

The Barnett Shale is a ‘‘tight gas’’ reservoir where gas is not easily extracted. The shale is very hard and was impossible to produce gas in commercial quantities until recent improvements were made in hydrofracture technology.

Hydraulic fracturing consists of pumping into the formation very large volumes of fresh water that generally has been treated with a friction reducer, biocides, scale inhibitor, and surfactants and contains sand as the propping agent. The water treating fluid maximizes the horizontal length of the fracture while minimizing the vertical fracture height.

The fractures, which are held open by the sand, result in increased surface area, which further results in increases in the desorption of the gas from the shale and increases in the mobility of the gas. The result is more efficient recovery of a larger volume of the gas-in-place.

Currently, counties that either have active drilling or the potential, include: Bosque (potential), Comanche (potential), Cooke (active), Denton (active), Ellis (potential), Erath (active), Hamilton (potential), Hill (active), Hood (active), Jack (potential), Johnson (active), Montague (potential), Palo Pinto (active), Parker (active), Somervell (potential), Tarrant (active), Wise (active).

Oil operators such as EOG Resources and Devon Energy estimate that one-third to one-half of the land in these counties will get wells.

 

[Caustic Burno]

In Texas mineral rights trump surface everytime, this is a battle you can't win not even with your state legislature. All the surface owner can claim is the fair market value of surface acres. There is a state reg drilling sites have to be 3000 feet from each other. The state is replacing all the old wooden bridges on our county roads as the drilling rigs are to heavy for them. They are sinking wells everywhere.
The only reason we are getting any break is the Clean Water Act as there is a creek at the bottom of every hill that all feed the Neches River.

 

[Brahma Bull]

This is one topic that rubs me the wrong way.Like a cat getting his butt scratched with a wire brush.The land I have,only have surface rights.The mineral rights on most of this property belongs to others living maybe in River Oaks in Houston.All those wells they have drilled here in lavaca County off County Road 14,all that gas they have produced,all the money made off those wells.Seems very little has been spent here on my road.Still the roughest road in lavaca County.While the ones that own the mineral rights live in some wealthy neighborhood,same with the oil companies and those ones on the payroll.Drive down their nice smooth paved streets.It"s the ones living out here,paying taxes,auto repairs,dealing with this road on a daily bases.I think the mineral rights owners and oil companies should also pay their share on up keep on this road.Few years ago I ask the County Comissioner if Moses was going to back before County Road 14 ever gets paved.He couldn't answer it.Only gave me some BS about they doing the best they can on my road.I will not let anyone from any oil company or exploration company even step on my land.They be looking down a gun barrel.

 

[Brute 23]

Let this be a lesson to any one thinking of purchasing land in the future... ;-)

You can not stop drilling if you only own the surface next to getting a restraining order against the oil company, and good luck with that.

My advice is to keep in touch with the mineral owner under your property. They can get you more than fair market value and put in no drilling clauses for certain areas and all kinds of other stuff (cattle guards, roads, compensation for trees, ect..). They are the only one who can truely protect you.

We go to the surface owners and talk with them before we do a lease to work things out in the best interest of both parties.

Brahma Bull your opion is largely scewed. Mineral owners do pay taxes, so do the oil companys. ALot of towns have survived only because oil and gas. Go to a town with alot of production and look at their schools... ;-) Poor roads is your Commisioners' fault, no one elses. Alot of times the oil companys even chip in to fix county roads. Its all a matter of how the county wants to deal with it. YOu can fight it all you want, but the rail road is still coming through. "YOu can't stop progress.."- :cowboy:

We also own land in Lavaco county between Halletsville and Victoria, I feel your pain. :tiphat:

 

[Lammie]

What are you all doing to protect your surface rights if you do not own the mineral rights? I read about a dairy farmer that lost everything....coastal fields, irrigation systems, and pen areas. The drilling company placed a well site every two acres, then build roads to get to them.

I read on a question and answer website that if I develop a plan where I plan to build a house every 2 acres and file it with the county, then I only had to allow them 2 per 80 acreas for a well site. I don't plan on developing the land, it is only a future plan to protect my surface rights. For us in North Texas, this is uncharted territory. I haven't contacted an attorney yet, but plan to in the near future. However, it seems that surface rights are not rights at all.

I was under the impression that you, as the owner of the surface rights, can refuse to allow any drilling or construction on your property. The reason everyone does allow it is because it pays. It is a temporary inconvenience and it pays very well. The drilling companies will build you new fence, stock ponds, cattle guards, new gates and so on. After they leave everything is more or less they way they found it, only better. Now, sometimes they do make holding ponds on properties and that's an eyesore, but once again, it really pays big and if you weren't doing anything much with that property, then what's the loss>

On the issue of land. I have been told that it takes at least a five acre sight in order to make room for all the equipment... I have seen them do it on far less, b ut I think that's the rule. I don't think that two acres is enough for them to work on. I may be wrong on that, but that is what I was told. I have had to educate myself on all this, as have most folks in the Barnett Shale.

I refuse to believe that someone is going to force a well on you when your neighbors are going to be more than willing to have a well sunk of their property. Why would want to suffer the same noise and inconvenience as your neighbor when they are enjoying that monthy trip to the bank?

I wish someone would sink a well here. I'd do it in a minute. And I own surface and mineral rights. If, however, I sold this land and retained the mineral rights, then there is no way I would force a well on this property. I don't see how I could. And if I could, the owner of the surface rights would sill make out like bandits.

Take the money. If you don't, someone else will.

 

[skyline]

I was under the impression that you, as the owner of the surface rights, can refuse to allow any drilling or construction on your property. The reason everyone does allow it is because it pays. It is a temporary inconvenience and it pays very well. The drilling companies will build you new fence, stock ponds, cattle guards, new gates and so on. After they leave everything is more or less they way they found it, only better. Now, sometimes they do make holding ponds on properties and that's an eyesore, but once again, it really pays big and if you weren't doing anything much with that property, then what's the loss>

On the issue of land. I have been told that it takes at least a five acre sight in order to make room for all the equipment... I have seen them do it on far less, b ut I think that's the rule. I don't think that two acres is enough for them to work on. I may be wrong on that, but that is what I was told. I have had to educate myself on all this, as have most folks in the Barnett Shale.

I refuse to believe that someone is going to force a well on you when your neighbors are going to be more than willing to have a well sunk of their property. Why would want to suffer the same noise and inconvenience as your neighbor when they are enjoying that monthy trip to the bank?

I wish someone would sink a well here. I'd do it in a minute. And I own surface and mineral rights. If, however, I sold this land and retained the mineral rights, then there is no way I would force a well on this property. I don't see how I could. And if I could, the owner of the surface rights would sill make out like bandits.

Take the money. If you don't, someone else will.

I've got a little different perspective. If you own the surface without the minerals, yes they can drill against your objections. Minerals take priority over the surface in Texas. And a lot of mineral owners are not near as considerate as you. They retained the minerals for just that reason - hoping that someone would lease it and drill some day.

And where I live, the surface damages are not near enough to offset all the impacts to the remainder of the property (especially if you own smaller tracts). It's a one time check to the property owner. Once you've spent it, it's gone, but the well is on your property in the middle of your business forever. Surface owners that don't own the minerals don't get royalties.

Your best bet as a surface owner without the minerals is to find a good lawyer to negotiate for you. (If you can find a good oil and gas lawyer that is not engaged 100% of the time by the oil and gas companies.)

 

[Caustic Burno]

What are you all doing to protect your surface rights if you do not own the mineral rights? I read about a dairy farmer that lost everything....coastal fields, irrigation systems, and pen areas. The drilling company placed a well site every two acres, then build roads to get to them.

I read on a question and answer website that if I develop a plan where I plan to build a house every 2 acres and file it with the county, then I only had to allow them 2 per 80 acreas for a well site. I don't plan on developing the land, it is only a future plan to protect my surface rights. For us in North Texas, this is uncharted territory. I haven't contacted an attorney yet, but plan to in the near future. However, it seems that surface rights are not rights at all.

I was under the impression that you, as the owner of the surface rights, can refuse to allow any drilling or construction on your property. The reason everyone does allow it is because it pays. It is a temporary inconvenience and it pays very well. The drilling companies will build you new fence, stock ponds, cattle guards, new gates and so on. After they leave everything is more or less they way they found it, only better. Now, sometimes they do make holding ponds on properties and that's an eyesore, but once again, it really pays big and if you weren't doing anything much with that property, then what's the loss>

On the issue of land. I have been told that it takes at least a five acre sight in order to make room for all the equipment... I have seen them do it on far less, b ut I think that's the rule. I don't think that two acres is enough for them to work on. I may be wrong on that, but that is what I was told. I have had to educate myself on all this, as have most folks in the Barnett Shale.

I refuse to believe that someone is going to force a well on you when your neighbors are going to be more than willing to have a well sunk of their property. Why would want to suffer the same noise and inconvenience as your neighbor when they are enjoying that monthy trip to the bank?

I wish someone would sink a well here. I'd do it in a minute. And I own surface and mineral rights. If, however, I sold this land and retained the mineral rights, then there is no way I would force a well on this property. I don't see how I could. And if I could, the owner of the surface rights would sill make out like bandits.

Take the money. If you don't, someone else will.

You have the wrong impression and if you try to interfer the Sheriff will be arresting you on your own property. My neighbors and I have had several long conversations with our State Rep over Texas needs a Homestead Bill of Rights.
They have forced wells on a lot of people in this area that didn't own the mineral rights, there is a fellow down the road set up about a 100 yards behind his house. I bet that would make for a good nights sleep. Heck they set up the drilling rig in the Shiloh Baptist church parking area.
We have gotten new bridges and better roads out of it though.

 

[Lammie]

But the wells are drilled laterally. It isn't like they aren't going to reach your pool unless they drill straight down. I am going to get my royalty check regardless of whose land the well is drilled on. Believe me, those guys are going to get the deposits one way or another. Like I said, everyone around here wants the money. The last time I heard, the wells were paying 25k each. And that was several years ago. I am sure the price has gone up since then. There is a lot of coin to be made here, and everyone is getting in on it.

I have never, and I am surrounded by wells here, never, heard of anyone that was forced to put a well on their own land. Now, if you end up with one in the pasture that backs up to your backyard, that's something else. But I have never heard anyone doing anything but laugh all the way to the bank when they got a well.

 

[Brute 23]

And where I live, the surface damages are not near enough to offset all the impacts to the remainder of the property (especially if you own smaller tracts). It's a one time check to the property owner. Once you've spent it, it's gone, but the well is on your property in the middle of your business forever. Surface owners that don't own the minerals don't get royalties.

When its all said and done you might have a 1 acre gravel pad with a couple pipes sticking out of the ground.
Not sure what they are paying there, but here they pay way more for "renting" that one acre than you could ever make off it running cattle or any thing else for that matter. NOt to mention a good road, cattle guard, water well... ALot of times you can get extra roads graveled

Not totally sure about this, need to check, but I believe some of our leases have $1200/ acres/ year for every acre of land. That money goes to the surface owner. That includes gravel roads, locations, and any thing else they might have on your property. If the want to run a pipe line you could be talking several hundred dollars an acre for them to run a piece of pipe.

Caustic, did they really drill a well 100yds behind that house or re-enter and old well. You can't drill with in X-amount of feet from a house. There is a law for that.

 

[Caustic Burno]

But the wells are drilled laterally. It isn't like they aren't going to reach your pool unless they drill straight down. I am going to get my royalty check regardless of whose land the well is drilled on. Believe me, those guys are going to get the deposits one way or another. Like I said, everyone around here wants the money. The last time I heard, the wells were paying 25k each. And that was several years ago. I am sure the price has gone up since then. There is a lot of coin to be made here, and everyone is getting in on it.

I have never, and I am surrounded by wells here, never, heard of anyone that was forced to put a well on their own land. Now, if you end up with one in the pasture that backs up to your backyard, that's something else. But I have never heard anyone doing anything but laugh all the way to the bank when they got a well.

Well you need to drive over here because a lot of people are not laughing. As far as the royalty check goes that has caused some of these backwoods bunch that had the mineral rights to loose a lot. Fellow about two miles through the woods was getting 30k a month he thought he had hit the lottery went out and started buying stuff after about a year the checks went to 200 a month. Now he can't pay the note on a lot crap he bought. Your lucky on a gas well if it pays for two years. Have some oil wells on Grandpa's old place that have been producing for 25 years one year you get a royalty check of 5k next year a 1000.

You are living in a glass house when it comes to mineral over surface you have no rights really in Texas.

 

[Brute 23]

But the wells are drilled laterally. It isn't like they aren't going to reach your pool unless they drill straight down.

Actually its called directional drilling. They do it all the time now. ;-) Plus alot of sands run under more than just one property.

If so and so puts a no drilling clause (only mineral owner can do) on their property the can go to the next property and drill under it. Same thing for a house or building. IF the want what under your house they go to the side and directional drill under your house.

They are even now directional drilling into sands so that they can perforate several spots in the tubing and get more volume. Instead of running a pipe vertical through a 20' sand the go down and kick out side ways and end up with the pipe laying horizontal in the sand. They can pop 3 or 4 holes in the tubing and get alot more flow coming in.

 

[backhoeboogie]

But the wells are drilled laterally. It isn't like they aren't going to reach your pool unless they drill straight down.

Actually its called directional drilling. They do it all the time now. ;-) Plus alot of sands run under more than just one property.

It is horizontal here. No sand. It is shale. Atleast for the discussion on the Godley wells anyway and for what Lammie speaks of.

The going rate right now is up to $50K Lammie, for the pad. Each pad generally gets three horizontal wells. The shale frac goes better when you do three. They are paying $10 a foot for the pipeline and $2 a foot to replant.

They are about to start going horizontal through the salt domes over in the East Texas cotton patch. Some of my leases anyway, for both the ones I own the minerals only and for the ones where I own a little land too.

I am pretty mixed on the minerals. Grandaddy moved up from Orangefield into northern East Texas. Many families were about to lose their entire farms to the banks. This was about 60 years back. He bought their bank notes for the mineral rights and let them keep their farms. Otherwise they would have lost it all. Hence, I don't feel guilty about owning the minerals. Had Grandaddy not bought their minerals, those families would have lost everything. Some of their grandchildren are crying foul now and they don't even have any well or pipeline or anything else on their property. No damage at all except for the traffic.

 

[Lammie]

There is just a ton of misinformation out there about the gas wells, and you get a different set of answers depending on who you ask. The wells can last two years or they can last twenty. They sure are building up the area with motels and such for the workers like it's gonna last a long time. It will be interesting to see what will happen if the boom goes bust early. Everyone in Johnson County is planning on having this kind of business for thirty years.

 

[Caustic Burno]

But the wells are drilled laterally. It isn't like they aren't going to reach your pool unless they drill straight down.

Actually its called directional drilling. They do it all the time now. ;-) Plus alot of sands run under more than just one property.

It is horizontal here. No sand. It is shale. Atleast for the discussion on the Godley wells anyway and for what Lammie speaks of.

The going rate right now is up to $50K Lammie, for the pad. Each pad generally gets three horizontal wells. The shale frac goes better when you do three. They are paying $10 a foot for the pipeline and $2 a foot to replant.

They are about to start going horizontal through the salt domes over in the East Texas cotton patch. Some of my leases anyway, for both the ones I own the minerals only and for the ones where I own a little land too.

I am pretty mixed on the minerals. Grandaddy moved up from Orangefield into northern East Texas. Many families were about to lose their entire farms to the banks. This was about 60 years back. He bought their bank notes for the mineral rights and let them keep their farms. Otherwise they would have lost it all. Hence, I don't feel guilty about owning the minerals. Had Grandaddy not bought their minerals, those families would have lost everything. Some of their grandchildren are crying foul now and they don't even have any well or pipeline or anything else on their property. No damage at all except for the traffic.

Boogie this is a two sided coin as I have family on both sides that have mineral rights,bought mineral rights,sold mineral rights. There were some upfront dealings and also some real shady dealings that took place in East Texas on mineral rights back in the depression.
You have to remember there are three things that will make a man break 7 of the 10 Commandments that's a dollar a land deed and a woman.

 

[Caustic Burno]

There is just a ton of misinformation out there about the gas wells, and you get a different set of answers depending on who you ask. The wells can last two years or they can last twenty. They sure are building up the area with motels and such for the workers like it's gonna last a long time. It will be interesting to see what will happen if the boom goes bust early. Everyone in Johnson County is planning on having this kind of business for thirty years.

None here as I am looking at one out the front window and one out the back window.

 

[Brahma Bull]

Let this be a lesson to any one thinking of purchasing land in the future... ;-)

You can not stop drilling if you only own the surface next to getting a restraining order against the oil company, and good luck with that.

My advice is to keep in touch with the mineral owner under your property. They can get you more than fair market value and put in no drilling clauses for certain areas and all kinds of other stuff (cattle guards, roads, compensation for trees, ect..). They are the only one who can truely protect you.

We go to the surface owners and talk with them before we do a lease to work things out in the best interest of both parties.

Brahma Bull your opion is largely scewed. Mineral owners do pay taxes, so do the oil companys. ALot of towns have survived only because oil and gas. Go to a town with alot of production and look at their schools... ;-) Poor roads is your Commisioners' fault, no one elses. Alot of times the oil companys even chip in to fix county roads. Its all a matter of how the county wants to deal with it. YOu can fight it all you want, but the rail road is still coming through. "YOu can't stop progress.."- :cowboy:

We also own land in Lavaco county between Halletsville and Victoria, I feel your pain. :tiphat:

I just heard the county commisioner for this district got the boot.So maybe things will change.Mismanagement of funds and corruption,under the table are only a few words I been hearing about the whole bunch running this county.Think one of the oil company reps was at a county meeting ask where all the money went for CR 14 and Ezzell school.The officials were squirming in their seats on that question.Just also heard from 2 law enforcement friends the reason they moved from this county.Yeah I know you can not stop the railroad,can't fight city hall,ain't going to win against the oil companies.Ain't going to stop all the oilfield traffic on this county road.It's fact of life living down oilfield gravel roads.Well it will cost them plenty to drill on my land,cut any of my trees or make an eye sore.Maybe if Bush had his ranch next door the county road would have been paved long time ago.

 

[Brute 23]

There is just a ton of misinformation out there about the gas wells, and you get a different set of answers depending on who you ask. The wells can last two years or they can last twenty. They sure are building up the area with motels and such for the workers like it's gonna last a long time. It will be interesting to see what will happen if the boom goes bust early. Everyone in Johnson County is planning on having this kind of business for thirty years.

None here as I am looking at one out the front window and one out the back window.

There are only two views, the "informed" and the "un-informed". ;-) Educate yourself and you can find the advantages real quick. Oil companys are more than willing to pay for what they want, you just have to go about it the right way to get it out of them (that may mean not signing the first lease they bring you :roll: ).

There is no need to feel bad about having minerals under some one elses property. One of my grandfathers bought and sold land like baseballs cards. He did keep minerals. At the time minerals were not worth much, surface is what people wanted to grow crops and livesock. Times have changed... can't dwell on the past.