The Mineral Rights Podcast: Mineral Rights | Royalties | Oil and Gas | Matt Sands
Published by Matt Sands
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Welcome to The Mineral Rights Podcast! I'm here to help you to make the most out of your oil and gas mineral rights and royalty interests. From the latest mineral rights news to featured guests, get the knowledge and resources you need to manage your minerals and royalties.
If you've ever sent an email to an operator's owner relations department and waited weeks for a reply — or gotten nothing at all — you're not alone, and it's not personal. In this episode, we break down exactly why so many owner requests stall out, and more importantly, what to do about it. We walk through how owner relations departments are actually organized, the specific information you need to include every single time you reach out, a simple method for diagnosing your problem before you ever hit send, and what to do when a normal request needs to become something more formal. If you've ever felt like you were shouting into the void, this episode gives you a repeatable process to get real answers instead. As always, links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
Only two things in life are guaranteed: death and taxes. Mineral rights don't get an exception. A listener wrote in about a tiny, recurring property tax bill on non-producing minerals in Kansas and asked the question: what actually happens if I just don't pay it? We answered their question in MRP 340: Listener Questions July 2026 and that question prompted this episode, because the honest answer is that property tax on minerals is complicated — and getting it wrong can, in the wrong state, actually cost you the minerals themselves. Be sure to check out the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com for links to the resources mentioned in this episode.
Getting that first royalty check feels like the finish line. You cashed it, the operator knows your name, and as far as you're concerned, the minerals are yours. But the truth is: an operator paying you and you actually owning marketable or clean title to your minerals are two completely different things, decided by two completely different standards. One is about an operator managing its own risk. The other is the legal bar a buyer, a bank, or a court will actually hold you to. In this episode, we dig into that gap — what it means, why it exists, and what you can (and can't) do about it with some commonly used shortcuts. As always, more information (including links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com ).
In this month's listener Q&A episode, we tackle a run of "what's really happening with my minerals" questions from across the country: whether a century-old Montana formation still has any life left in it, how to gauge future drilling near existing wells in Louisiana, how to spot a planned refrac before it happens (plus a tangled century-old inheritance dispute out of the Haynesville), how to avoid getting lowballed by unsolicited purchase offers, what to check when a new Texas well starts sending royalty checks, how to research undeveloped minerals in New Mexico, and the potential issues that could arise if you decide to skip paying property taxes on your non-producing mineral rights. Whether you're trying to figure out what your minerals are worth, confirm you're being paid correctly, or just protect what you've inherited, this episode has something for you. As before, many of the questions in this episode are covered in more depth in my Mineral Management Basics online course , including how to read a legal description, perform a title search, identify nearby oil and gas activity, and determine whether you should be getting paid on a well. Thanks again to everyone who left a review or who submitted a listener question! If you have a question about your minerals or royalties, you can send it to feedback@mineralrightspodcast.com !
This month has been a roller coaster ride in the oil and gas world, and mineral owners have a front row seat. A Colorado town just sold off its own mineral rights in a fight that split its council right down the middle, oil prices have been yo-yoing on every twist in the Iran situation, in an obvious political move, President Trump is picking a fight with the same oil companies he courted for campaign donations, and the Interior Department quietly rolled back a set of Biden-era drilling rules that could reshape how quickly federal leases move. We break down these stories, and discuss why "the news" and "your bottom line" are more connected than most owners realize. Let's get into it. As always, links to the articles discussed can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
Most mineral owners know they "own mineral rights" — but what does that actually mean? Did you know that property ownership isn't a single thing; it's a collection of separate, stackable, and separable rights that attorneys and landmen refer to as the "bundle of sticks." In this episode, we break down everything you need to know about the different types of property rights — from the broad concept of who owns what on the surface to a detailed look at the five distinct rights that make up the mineral estate itself. If you've ever wondered why you're receiving a royalty check but didn't sign a lease, why you can sell your interest while your cousin holds onto theirs, or what exactly an NPRI owner does and doesn't get to do — this episode covers it all. Whether you've just inherited minerals or have been a mineral owner for years, understanding which "sticks" are in your bundle is foundational to making smart decisions about your property. As always the links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
If a landman representing an oil and gas company just knocked on your door and offered to buy a piece of your land for a compressor station, what should you do? The check sounds good — maybe even great. But before you sign anything, there's a lot more to think through than just the dollar amount. In this episode, we dig into one of the less-discussed situations a landowner can face: being approached to permanently sell surface land for industrial oil and gas infrastructure. From understanding what a compressor station actually is, to navigating the tax implications of a sale versus a lease, to making sure the protections you negotiate actually survive if the company sells the property to someone else — this episode walks you through the key questions to ask and the mistakes to avoid. As always, links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
In this month's listener Q&A episode, we answer an interesting mix of questions: from assessing a mining prospect on inherited land in Alabama, to a Texas mineral owner caught in the middle of a confusing pooling-versus-allocation dispute with their operator, to one of the most common (and heartbreaking) situations we hear about — a widow trying to untangle mineral ownership across three states after her husband's passing. Whether you're dealing with unclaimed property, figuring out what your minerals are worth, or just trying to get organized before the worst happens, this episode has something for you. As always, links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
If you've filled up your gas tank lately, you already know something big is happening in energy markets — and it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has shut down roughly 14% of the world's oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil and gas prices on a roller coaster ride that has the Federal Reserve worried about inflation, analysts predicting $3+ gas prices through the end of the decade, and even major OPEC members quietly making moves to protect their own interests. For mineral and royalty owners, higher oil prices are a double edged sword. While it can mean stronger royalty checks in the short term, higher gas prices and the trickle down effect into higher prices for just about everything can offset those gains. In this month's news episode, Justin and I break down what's actually happening, cut through the noise, and talk through what it all means for you as a mineral owner. As always, links to the articles discussed can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
Most mineral owners are sitting on tools that could save them hours of time, catch payment errors they'd never find on their own, and make them far more informed at every step of owning minerals and royalties — and they don't even know it. In this episode, we cover easy, free things you can do right now using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to streamline your mineral management. We also pull back the curtain on the more advanced ways the industry is already using AI to streamline title work, track drilling activity, and audit royalty payments. The key theme running through all of it: AI is an amplifier, not a replacement. The more you understand about your minerals, the more you can get out of these tools. Get my free AI Prompt Guide for Mineral Owners to turn a pile of old deeds into a clean, organized mineral rights inventory — even if you have no technical background and no idea where to start. As always, the links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
When most people hear "geothermal energy," they think of Iceland, Yellowstone, or hot springs — places where the earth's heat is practically boiling up through the ground on its own. For decades, that image was essentially correct: traditional geothermal power only worked where nature had already done the hard work. But a wave of new technology borrowed directly from the oil and gas industry is changing everything. In this episode, we discuss the rapid advances in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) — what they are, how far the technology has come since we first covered this topic in 2022, and most importantly, what the legal ownership picture looks like for mineral rights owners as this new energy source begins to scale up. As always, links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com
In this episode, we answer questions submitted by Sara, David, Kevin, Tom, Bradley, and Linda. Topics range from decoding an unsolicited purchase offer to calculating decimal interest for allocation wells crossing multiple units in the East Texas Haynesville, to recovering unclaimed royalties for a deceased parent's estate. Whether you're brand new to mineral ownership or a seasoned buyer, there's something here for you. As always, links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
In this month's news episode, we break down four major developments shaking up global energy markets in May 2026. From the UAE's sudden departure from OPEC to a widening gap between paper and physical oil prices, the episode covers what these fast-moving events mean for royalty owners who are trying to make sense of their income outlook. We also discuss the Trump administration's meeting with major oil executives, a temporary waiver of the century-old Jones Act, and what the latest rig count data tells us about where the industry is actually headed. As always, links to the articles coverd in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
Your royalty check is the end product of dozens of economic forces working all at once — and most of them have nothing to do with what's happening on your property. In this episode, we break down the economic framework every mineral owner needs to understand: starting with the global or macro-economic forces that set the price of oil and gas, moving to the local and regional factors that determine how much of that price actually reaches your check, and ending with the micro or property-level decisions that affect your long-term income. Whether you inherited your minerals or actively manage them, understanding the big picture helps you make smarter decisions, set realistic expectations, and stop second-guessing every time your royalty check goes up or down. Be sure to check out the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com for more information!
When a landman calls or a lease offer arrives in the mail, most mineral owners don't realize they're at the starting point of a negotiation — not the finish line. In this episode, we use a real question as the jumping-off point for a practical conversation about how to negotiate a better oil and gas lease. We walk through why the first offer is almost never the best one, what third-party lessees are and why they sometimes offer better terms than the operating company itself, and most importantly, why the royalty rate you agree to today will determine the value of your mineral rights for decades to come. We also break down the critical but often overlooked role of cost-free language in protecting your royalty checks from being quietly eroded by post-production deductions, and close with a clear set of steps any mineral owner can take to go into a lease negotiation better prepared. As always, links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found at mineralrightspodcast.com .
In this episode, we answer questions submitted by Scott, Greg, Charlotte, Clarissa, Sheri, and Paul. In this month's listener Q&A, we tackle a diverse set of questions that reflect the full range of challenges mineral and royalty owners face — from a technical question about appraisal methodology, to a listener navigating a suspicious lease offer, to a Haynesville owner trying to squeeze more value out of a lease negotiation. We also respond to a listener who sent along an article that discussed the Section 45Q carbon capture expansion in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and we provide a comparison to the mineral owner-focused take that we covered in Episode 297. Whether you're just starting to untangle inherited rights or you're deep in lease negotiations with a major operator, this episode has something for you. As before, many of the questions in this episode are covered in more depth in my Mineral Management Basics online course , including how to read a legal description, perform a title search, identify nearby oil and gas activity, and determine whether you should be getting paid on a well. Additional links to resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
In this month's news episode, we break down the energy market fallout from the U.S.-Iran conflict and what it actually means for oil prices (and your royalty checks) for the forseeable future. As compared to the start of the conflict, recent infrastructure damage has fundamentally changed the price recovery timeline. We also review how global strategic petroleum reserves are being tapped as a stopgap measure, which specific facilities were hit and why it matters, and why U.S. natural gas prices have so far been shielded from the chaos overseas. On the home front, we also cover a brewing political battle in Colorado that could directly affect mineral and royalty owners in the state, and close with a look at the rig count and what to expect from drilling activity in the months ahead. As always, links to the articles discussed in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
In mid-March 2026, the Trump administration announced the largest single-country release of emergency oil reserves in history — 172 million barrels — as part of a coordinated 400-million-barrel release by 32 nations in response to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In this episode, we dig into what the Strategic Petroleum Reserve actually is, how it was created, and what the historical record tells us about whether tapping it actually brings down oil prices. We also examine why the reserve is now headed toward levels not seen since the early 1980s, what the "exchange" structure of the current release means for replenishment, and why mineral owners shouldn't panic — but should pay attention. As always, links to the resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com .
Besides my Mineral Management Basics Online Course (and this Podcast), there are only a few options out there designed to help you take your mineral management to the next level. In this episode, we walk through the National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) Mineral Management Program, which is the only professional certification specifically designed for mineral and royalty owners. It's one of the best-kept secrets in the mineral ownership world, and in this episode we lay out exactly how to use it as a step-by-step roadmap — from building a foundation all the way to earning the top designation in mineral management. Want to learn more? Check out the links to the Mineral Management Program in the show notes which as always can be found at mineralrightspodcast.com .
In this episode, we answer questions submitted by Greg, James, Greg, Sarah, George, Deborah, and Martha. From Drilled Un-Completed (DUC) wells that seem stalled to inheriting assets you don't fully understand, from IRS estate appraisals to updating an address on a deed, this episode highlights why the details always matter and why knowing the right next step can save you time, money, and stress. Whether you're dealing with one of these issues right now or just want to be prepared when you do, there's something in this episode for every mineral owner. As before, many of the questions in this episode are covered in more depth in my Mineral Management Basics online course , including how to read a legal description, perform a title search, identify nearby oil and gas activity, and determine whether you should be getting paid on a well. Thanks again to everyone who submitted a listener question! If you have a question about your minerals or royalties, you can send it to feedback@mineralrightspodcast.com !
Producer's note
Steal the structure. Not the show.
Keep the useful structure, then change the audience, point of view, and voice until the idea is unmistakably yours.
