DO YOU TRUST YOUR LANDMAN ENOUGH TO MARRY HIM/HER?

A mineral lease has a longer life than most marriages. Since this document may be longer lasting than a marriage, why would you enter into it lightly?

Some may look at it with the dreaming eyed impetuous hopes or the same mindset as a teenager who would get married in a Las Vegas drive through Chapel. I’ve heard people say “it’s all free money, so why does it even matter?”. Nothing in life is free, so a little investigation will certainly limit problems farther on down the road.

At the other end of the spectrum, I heard someone make an inquiry as to how would water be distributed in the event of an unforeseen accident. I would compare this to someone who wants a resume, blood type and criminal background check before they would attempt to carry on a conversation much less contemplate dating. Although all matrimony is not bliss, this type of outlook will surely lead to loneliness in dating and leasing. There has to be some give and take.

I believe in the goldilocks method. Not too cold. Not too hot. Find a middle ground that you can live with and what the company can deal with. No pie in the sky hopes and not so many hoops that an acrobat couldn’t jump through.

But bottom line is, you are the only person that can decide what is “JUST RIGHT” for your circumstances. No amount of name calling or persuasive tactics should sway you in your decision. If the company won’t negotiate a fair deal, then they lose.

Just stick to the facts and eventually you’ll have a lease that you can live with. If not you’ll be receiving revenue instead of royalty. Lagniappe is lagniappe no matter how you slice it.

And just like marriage, it is probably worth consulting someone with expertise in the matter. In this case, I'd check with an attorney instead of your aunt Cathy (unless of course your aunt is an oil and gas attorney).