Do not take the first number
Mineral buyers assemble packages to resell or hold. Operators and brokers mail leases when a pad, pooling unit, or Haynesville / Permian / Marcellus program needs more net acres. A real company on the letterhead does not make the number fair. It means they have a process, a form deed, and a budget. If the attachment already grants, bargains, and sells minerals, that packet is a mineral deed offer.
Let us counter or match it. Copies or photos of every page — including the legal description — plus the county are enough. We buy minerals, we match owners with buyers, and we will try a counter on the figure in the envelope so you are not stuck with one letter. We do not promise to beat every offer.
What is usually in the packet
- Cover letter — a dollar figure, a net mineral acre guess, and a date.
- Mineral deed or assignment — a sale if you sign and it records. That packet is a mineral deed offer. See mineral deeds.
- Oil and gas lease — not a sale; bonus plus royalty. See leases.
- W-9 and return envelope — they want to close on their paper, at their notary, on their clock.
Pressure that is not a legal deadline
“Offer expires Friday,” “neighbors already sold,” and “we will be in your county this week” are sales language. Most buyout letters can sit while you send a holding reply and send the packet here for a counter or a match. Court papers, foreclosure, and existing lease option windows are different — if it looks like a lawsuit or a recorded instrument with a real drop-dead date, say so on the form.
Do not sign, notarize, or mail originals on the first read. Copies are enough for a counter or a match. A recorded mineral deed is difficult to unwind.
What they are actually asking for
| Packet | If you sign | Typical tell |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral deed / buyout | You sell minerals (often forever) | Purchase price, “grant, bargain, sell” |
| Oil and gas lease | They may drill / pool during the term | Bonus, royalty fraction, primary term |
| Royalty deed / NPRI | You sell a slice of royalty only | “Royalty interest,” no executive rights language — still a sale |
What to do this week
- Send the letter here so we can try a counter or match you with a buyer.
- Identify the county and whether the tract is producing.
- Do not cash a draft or check that is tied to a deed you have not accepted.
- Read how to respond and send a short “received, reviewing” note if you need time.
- Match the basin on our locations pages or the oil and gas map so their story is not the only story.
Let us counter or match this offer
Photos or PDFs of the letter and every deed or lease page, the county, and whether you get royalty now. We buy minerals and we match owners with buyers. We will try a counter on their number, or put you with a buyer who might. We do not promise to beat every letter — we do ask you to send it before you sign.