About the abstract desk
The Mineral Abstract Desk, County by County
Mineral ownership is a chain, not a snapshot. A current statement can help identify wells and decimals, but it does not replace the severance deed, later reservations, probate record, assignments, leases, pooling documents, and proposed purchase deed.
Start With the Severance
The abstract begins where the mineral estate separates from the surface or where a prior grantor reserves an interest. The exact granting and reservation language matters because later family summaries often compress distinctions the recorded instrument preserves.
Follow Every Conveyance and Reservation
A chain of title should account for deeds, assignments, mineral conveyances, royalty deeds, leases, releases, mortgages, probate instruments, trusts, mergers, and corrective filings. Missing links are questions to resolve, not assumptions to bury.
Reconstruct Heirship Before Dividing the Fraction
Inherited interests may pass through wills, intestacy, trusts, affidavits, family settlements, and multiple estates. We organize the apparent path and identify where an attorney, probate filing, or curative instrument may be necessary.
Distinguish the Interest Type
Mineral rights, royalty interests, non-participating royalties, overriding royalties, working interests, executive rights, and leasehold rights do not carry the same powers or burdens. The acquisition file names the interest before pricing it.
Reconcile Acres, Royalty, and Decimal
Net mineral acres, ownership fraction, lease royalty, unit allocation, and division-order decimal should be mathematically consistent. When they are not, the discrepancy becomes a research item rather than a hidden price adjustment.
Read the Proposed Deed Against the Abstract
The purchase agreement and deed should match on grantor, grantee, tracts, counties, depths, formations, fractions, included rights, exclusions, reservations, effective date, and warranty language. Broader deed language should not ride behind a narrower price sheet.
State the Curative Path Before Closing
Probate, affidavits, corrective deeds, releases, entity authority, trust certificates, and missing legal descriptions can affect timing. A useful buyer explains the required cure, who prepares it, what remains optional, and whether the proposal changes if the record differs.
