What is the Average Price Per Acre for Mineral Rights?

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average price per acre for mineral rights

Mineral rights can be an extremely valuable asset. If you suspect there may be oil, gas, or any other kind of precious metal sitting beneath the subsurface of your property, then you have the opportunity to earn an income through resource extraction.

As in any transaction, with a mineral rights lease, you will want a good deal. If you are exploring potential buyers, or if an oil and gas company has reached out to you directly, then your negotiation skills will determine how profitable your mineral rights can be.

Factors that Influence the Average Price Per Acre for Mineral Rights

  • Location
  • Size of Plot (Often Higher Prices for Larger Pieces of Land)
  • Existing or Past Operations
  • Producing vs. Non-Producing
  • Estimated Mineral Amount

Mineral Leases Average Price Per Acre

Of course, a good baseline to understand when leasing your mineral rights is the average price per acre for mineral rights leases. Unfortunately, mineral rights transactions are not always made public knowledge. For this reason, there is a limited amount of data available to calculate the average price per acre of mineral leases.

Plus, the cost, opportunities, and average prices of mineral rights transactions are highly variable across different states. With all of this in mind, there are still many local resources that may you understand some of the averages for modern mineral rights leases in your area.

Nationally, mineral rights owners can expect anywhere from $100 to $5,000 per acre for their mineral rights lease. The most valuable mineral rights leases are on producing parcels of land that are still expected to hold many more precious minerals.

States with Highest Average Price Per Acre For Mineral Rights Leases

Although the states vary from year to year, generally, some of the most valuable states for leasing mineral rights are:

  • Nevada
  • Arizona
  • Texas
  • California
  • Minnesota
  • Alaska
10 replies
  1. Janet
    Janet says:

    can someone direct to me to find answers to my questions. I have found out I am an owner of a parcel in Oklahoma with mineral rights. THROUGH INHERITANCE. I know very little. I know I have 3 choices as they are about to offer me something and I feel unarmed and uneducated. Choices are 1. Lease. 2. Royalties payments. 3. Sell. It is one acre in McClain County. I do not wish to sell. Difference between the leasing concept and receiving a royalty monthly payment? Thank you.

    Reply
    • sam
      sam says:

      hello Janet, my family has mineral rights in Converse County Wyoming. I have negotiated several leases for my family in the past. In a lease we got 100,000.00 each to lease it for 5 years, if they were able to drill and produce oil. We would then get 18% each per barrel to be paid quarterly. It has been lucrative, but they never got far enough to start drilling. Once you sell your mineral rights it all goes to another owner.

      Reply
  2. Tracy Butts
    Tracy Butts says:

    Can I sell my 1/3 of mineral rights if the lease agreement I signed is void and nulled because it doesn’t include the third person in it?

    Reply
  3. William Pack
    William Pack says:

    I own through inheritance a share of mineral rights in PA. I’m uneducated in this field and was rushed into leasing my share. Now I want to sell it. How do I find out the value and can I sell when its still under lease?

    Reply
  4. laura
    laura says:

    I own percentage of mineral and land rights in Ca through inheitance, how do I know if all past rights have been divided properly? Am I sopposed to have a deed also?

    Reply
  5. Webster Myers
    Webster Myers says:

    I own roughly one eighth of Myers drilling and I have several thousand acres half of which probably shale land!! I have large liability what’s it
    Worth

    Reply
  6. Richard Churchill
    Richard Churchill says:

    I have inherited three 160-acre leases in Osage County, Oklahoma. These are at least intermittently active. I need to determine the lease terms and value for purposes of estate planning and for possible decision on their sale/transfer to other parties if my heirs are not thrilled with receiving them as inheritance. The first question, then, is “How and where can I find the original lease?” The second question is “How do I determine their approximate worth?” Once I know the answers to those question, I will have to decide on what to do with them. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • SAM
      SAM says:

      Most deeds are recorded at the County Seat where the mineral rights are. Oil companies or those who drill should be able to produce the lease agreement. I have negotiated 3 leases in my time. The lease will tell you if you get a percentage of each barrel that is pulled out. You will count this a depreciation on your mineral royalties. Especially since you have an active oil producing well even if it is intermittent.

      Reply

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