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Research · free screening

Find out what you own before anyone asks you to sell it.

Most owners we hear from have a name, a county, and a question. That is enough. A researcher checks the county records and sends you a brief that says what the records show, what they don’t, and which document would settle it.

Start a free screeningWhat happens after you ask
Cross-section of land: the surface, layers of rock, and a highlighted mineral layer with a horizontal well running through itSurface: may belong to someone elseRock, water, coal: separate rightsOil and gas minerals: this is what an offer is forA fraction of this layer under a named tract, sometimes divided over generationsA well nearbyis not proof of title
The minerals under a tract can belong to someone other than the surface owner, and a fraction of them can pass through several generations. The brief is about that layer.
What you get
A written Mineral Owner Brief: candidate interests, locations, recorded fractions, and the source for each one.
What it costs
Nothing. The screening is free and has a stated scope. Anything beyond it is explained before it is done.
What it never requires
A sale, a lease, or permission to contact relatives. The brief is yours whatever you decide.

Early access. People do the research, not software. Each brief is prepared and reviewed by hand, so capacity is limited and an answer takes time rather than minutes.

Start with what you have. Even if it is almost nothing.

  • A name and a countyEnough to begin. Add any spelling variants and the places the person lived.
  • A royalty checkThe operator, wells, and decimal on the stub narrow the search to days instead of weeks.
  • A letter from a buyerIts reference to a tract or deed book is often the fastest route to the record.
  • A box of family papersDeeds, wills, tax tickets. You do not have to sort them; tell us what is there.

What the brief tells you

  • The interests the records point toCounty, district, tract, and the fraction or royalty decimal in each recorded document.
  • Acres, stated honestlyGross tract acres and estimated net mineral acres shown separately, only where the records support the arithmetic.
  • Every finding with its sourceDeed book and page, will, estate file, or permit, so your attorney can pull the same document.
  • What is still openThe gaps, the conflicting records, and the one document that would close each question.
  • What it does not establishA brief is not a title opinion. It says where to look and what was found, labeled by how sure we are.

How a research case runs

  1. Tell us what you know

    Your name, the county, a prior owner or ancestor, and any parcel, deed, lease, or royalty details. Unknown fields stay blank. You can start without a single document.

  2. Free screening

    We check whether what you shared points to a traceable interest. The screening scope is stated up front: To be confirmed before launch. You get a useful answer even if the interest is not one we would buy.

  3. Research and review

    A researcher works through county deed and probate records, your documents, and public well and permit data. A qualified reviewer resolves conflicts before anything is relied on.

  4. Your brief

    Every conclusion is linked to its evidence. Owner-supplied facts, candidate matches, and reviewed findings are labeled differently so you can see how firm each one is.

  5. Your choice

    Keep the brief and stop. Follow your county. Ask for a written offer or a lease conversation. Research never requires a sale.

Where the evidence comes from

County records

Deed, lease, and probate records held by the county clerk and county commission where the minerals sit.

Your documents

Deeds, royalty statements, lease copies, tax notices, letters from operators or buyers, and family papers you choose to share.

Public well and permit data

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and state survey records, used to place interests near documented activity.

Our own reference database

An internal research database the business maintains on West Virginia mineral ownership, used as a lead and never as proof. Every entry is labeled by evidence status and reviewed before use.

Questions owners ask

What if all I have is a relative’s name and a county?

That is enough to start. Add any alternative spellings and places associated with that person. The screening tells you whether the records point anywhere and what would be needed to go further.

Is the screening really free?

Yes. The initial screening has a stated scope and no charge. If a case needs work beyond that scope, we tell you what it would involve before anything is done. The scope boundary is being finalized and is shown on this page once confirmed.

Will you contact my relatives?

No. Research for you does not enroll anyone else. Any outreach to relatives needs their own authorization.

Do I have to sell to get my brief?

No. The brief is yours either way. A purchase offer or a lease conversation is a separate request that you make, or do not make, after reading it.

Can I take the brief to my own attorney?

Please do. Every finding cites the recorded document so a West Virginia attorney can verify it. A brief is not a title opinion, and we say so on its first page.

Research reviewer: To be confirmed before launch. Case limit during early access: To be confirmed before launch.