Minerals can be severed from the surface
In New Mexico, mineral rights may have been separated from the surface rights many years ago. The minerals could be privately owned, reserved by a previous owner, owned by the State of New Mexico, or associated with federal land.
Start with county records
A good place to start is with the records in the county where the mineral interest is located. Deeds, mineral deeds, reservations, probate records and other recorded documents may help establish ownership.
The New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division also recommends checking county records, and depending on the property, records maintained by the Bureau of Land Management or the New Mexico State Land Office may also be relevant.
Other clues you may already have
- Royalty checks or division orders from an operator
- Lease offers or bonus payments received in the past
- A relative's estate paperwork listing mineral interests
- Property tax notices referencing a mineral account
- Old family letters referring to oil and gas payments
Not sure? That's okay
Tell us what information you have, and we can start reviewing the interest from there.