A mineral rights lease is granted by the property owner and based on the state laws in which the property resides. The lease grants the lessee the rights to explore the property in order to determine the type and amount of minerals available. If you would like to consider leasing land that you own, or lease the land that someone else owns then you should start by doing some Lease Extraction research on the subject or getting assistance from an expert. While this may be a lucrative proposition for both the developer and land owner, it is not without many legal and regulatory stipulations.
Licensed geologist Dr. Hobart King compares purchasing a mineral rights lease to purchasing a car. He states that when an individual purchases a car, he/she pays for the car, title, etc. and then takes the car home. However, when purchasing such, the individual is purchasing the right to mine and all others who purchase the land in the future are buying the rights to mine as well. Hobart states that often times companies purchase the land and wait years to explore the property because their employees and equipment are booked years in advance. Nevertheless, a mineral rights lease is purchasing the rights to explore the land and the minerals that may or may not be present on that property.
Dr. Hobart King also mentions that mining companies may purchase a plot of land to explore the type and amount of minerals present. In this case, the company would pay the property owner for the rights to the property and the right to explore the property to determine available minerals. Once minerals are extracted, the property owner is usually paid a share based on the findings. This amount is specified in the lease agreement, which is setup prior to exploring the property.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a number of research articles on extracting minerals, as well as the various types of minerals that can be extracted. A few mentioned are coal and lead.
The EPA also highlights environmental issues related to mineral mining. While these issues are often overlooked in a mineral rights lease, there are still environmental factors to consider before signing a lease. Degrading ground water, surface water, soil, and air Lease Extraction quality are a few of the highlighted risks the EPA mentions.
A mineral rights lease refers to the allowing individuals or companies to explore land to determine the kind and amount of minerals available. If you are interested in discovering more about it please see your local extension of the US or search the Internet for mineral rights brokers.