# Mineral Rights Offer Checklist

> Free checklist for a mineral rights offer letter, to buy or to lease: answer what the letter says and get the missing terms and the written questions to send. It never rates the price.

- URL: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-offer-checklist
- Publisher: Buckhead Energy (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/)
- Format: full-content Markdown twin of the page (same content as the HTML; site navigation and footer removed)

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Quick answer — What should a mineral rights offer letter tell me?

Before you can compare an offer, the letter should say whether it is a **sale or a lease**, exactly **what you would convey** (all minerals, royalty only, certain wells or depths), the **legal description**, the **acres or decimal** the price is based on, the **price as a total**, **how and when you would be paid**, who pays **costs and recording**, what **title documents** are needed, and the **deed** you would sign. An offer to lease should come with the **lease** you would sign and state its **royalty**, **term** and **bonus**. Ask in writing for anything it leaves out.

## Every offer letter

1. Is the letter an offer to buy your interest or an offer to lease it?

2. Does the letter describe the property?

3. Does it state how much interest the price is based on?

4. Does it say how and when you would be paid?

5. Does it say how long the offer is open?

6. Does it name the company making the offer and give a way to reach them?

## If it is an offer to buy

7. What would you be selling?

8. How is the price expressed?

9. Does it say who pays closing costs or fees?

10. Does it say who records the deed and pays to record it?

11. Does it say what title documents are needed and what happens if title has a problem?

12. Did you get a copy of the deed you would sign?

13. Does it say who receives royalties earned before closing or held in suspense?

## If it is an offer to lease

14. Did you get a copy of the lease you would sign?

15. Does it state the royalty?

16. Does it state how long the lease would last?

17. Does it state the bonus and how it would be paid?

Check the letter

## How to check a mineral rights offer letter

1. **Have the letter in front of you.** Use the offer letter and anything sent with it, such as a purchase agreement or a deed form.
2. **Answer what the letter says.** First say whether it is an offer to buy or to lease; the checklist then uses the terms for that kind of offer. For each term, choose the answer that matches the letter.
3. **Read the flags.** Each term is marked clear, worth a question, or missing.
4. **Send your questions in writing.** Copy the list of questions into a letter or email to the buyer and keep the replies with the offer.

## The terms the checklist looks for

- **Is the letter an offer to buy your interest or an offer to lease it?** If the letter is unclear: Ask in writing whether you would be selling your interest (signing a deed) or leasing it (signing a lease). See [lease offer vs. purchase offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/lease-offer-vs-purchase-offer).
- **What would you be selling?** If the letter is unclear: Ask exactly what the deed would convey: all minerals, royalty only, specific wells or specific depths, and whether future wells are included. See [mineral deeds](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-deed).
- **Does the letter describe the property?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for the full legal description of the land and compare it with your deed or division order. See [how to find out what you own](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/how-to-find-if-you-own-mineral-rights).
- **Does it state how much interest the price is based on?** If the letter is unclear: Ask which net acres or decimal the price is based on and how they were figured, and check them against your records. See [division order decimal checker](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/division-order-decimal-calculator).
- **How is the price expressed?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for the price in writing as a total dollar amount. See [how to compare mineral rights offers](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/how-to-compare-mineral-rights-offers).
- **Does it say how and when you would be paid?** If the letter is unclear: Ask how and when you will be paid, and get it in writing. See [questions to ask a buyer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/questions-to-ask-mineral-rights-buyer).
- **Does it say who pays closing costs or fees?** If the letter is unclear: Ask in writing who pays closing costs and any fees, and whether anything is deducted from the price. See [questions to ask a buyer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/questions-to-ask-mineral-rights-buyer).
- **Does it say who records the deed and pays to record it?** If the letter is unclear: Ask who will record the deed in the county records (parish records in Louisiana) and who pays the recording fees. See [mineral deeds](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-deed).
- **Does it say what title documents are needed and what happens if title has a problem?** If the letter is unclear: Ask what documents the buyer needs to confirm title (for example, probate or heirship records) and what happens to the offer if title review finds a problem. See [selling with unclear title](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/selling-mineral-rights-with-unclear-title).
- **Did you get a copy of the deed you would sign?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for a copy of the deed you would sign, and check what it conveys and what kind of warranty it gives. See [warranty deed vs. quitclaim deed](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/warranty-deed-vs-quitclaim-deed).
- **Does it say who receives royalties earned before closing or held in suspense?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for the effective date of the sale and who receives royalties for earlier months and any amount held in suspense. See [royalty in suspense](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-in-suspense).
- **Does it say how long the offer is open?** If the letter is unclear: Ask how long the offer stays open, in writing. See [mineral rights offer deadlines](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights-offer-deadline).
- **Does it name the company making the offer and give a way to reach them?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for the full legal name of the company that would be named in the deed or lease, and an address and phone number. See [unsolicited mineral rights offers](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/unsolicited-mineral-rights-offer).
- **Did you get a copy of the lease you would sign?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for a copy of the exact lease you would sign, and read every clause before you agree. See [lease offer vs. purchase offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/lease-offer-vs-purchase-offer).
- **Does it state the royalty?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for the royalty fraction in writing, as it would appear in the lease. See [lease offer vs. purchase offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/lease-offer-vs-purchase-offer).
- **Does it state how long the lease would last?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for the lease term in writing, as it would appear in the lease. See [lease offer vs. purchase offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/lease-offer-vs-purchase-offer).
- **Does it state the bonus and how it would be paid?** If the letter is unclear: Ask for the bonus per net mineral acre, the total, and how and when it would be paid, in writing. See [lease offer vs. purchase offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/lease-offer-vs-purchase-offer).

## What this checklist does not do

It does not judge whether a price is high, low or fair, and it does not estimate what your interest is worth. It only shows which terms your letter states and what to ask about the rest. To understand what shapes a price, see [how to compare mineral rights offers](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/how-to-compare-mineral-rights-offers).

## Keep it in writing

Ask your questions in writing and keep the answers with the offer. Ask how and when you will be paid, and get it in writing. Before you sign a deed, read it, and consider having an oil and gas attorney review it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does this checklist tell me whether an offer is fair?

No. It shows which terms the letter states and which are missing or unclear, and gives you the questions to ask. It does not rate the price or estimate a value.

### Is an offer to lease the same as an offer to buy?

No. A lease and a deed are different documents. If you cannot tell which one a letter offers, ask in writing before you go further.

### What if the price is given per acre?

Ask for the total dollar amount and the exact acreage it multiplies, so both are in writing and you can check the acreage against your records.

### Is any of my information sent anywhere?

Your answers are sent to this page to build the checklist and are shown back to you. The checklist asks no names, addresses or account numbers.

### Is this legal advice?

No. It is a checklist of terms to look for. Consult an oil and gas attorney about any deed or agreement before you sign it.

## Machine access

Software and AI assistants can run the same computation with `GET /api/v1/tools/offer-checklist` (documented in [the OpenAPI spec](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/openapi.json)) or through the MCP tool `check_offer_letter_terms` at `/mcp`.

A checklist of terms to look for in an offer letter; not legal, tax or financial advice, and not a valuation or an opinion on any price. Consult an oil and gas attorney before you sign a deed or agreement.

## Related guides

- [Questions to ask any mineral rights buyer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/questions-to-ask-mineral-rights-buyer)
- [You got an offer letter — now what?](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights-offer-letter-explained)
- [Unsolicited offers](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/unsolicited-mineral-rights-offer)
- [Purchase and sale agreements](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights-purchase-sale-agreement)
- [Documents needed to sell](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/documents-needed-sell-minerals)

More free owner tools

[Division Order Decimal Checker](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/division-order-decimal-calculator) — compute your decimal and find which input explains a mismatch on your check stub

[Oklahoma Pooling Election Calculator](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/oklahoma-pooling-election-calculator) — each option’s cash bonus, royalty decimal and the response deadline in an OCC pooling order

[Royalty Owner Letter Templates](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-owner-letters) — division order correction, late payment, owner number, address change and owner’s death letters

[Oklahoma Documentary Stamp Decoder](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/oklahoma-documentary-stamp-calculator) — read the consideration range implied by the stamps on a recorded Oklahoma deed

[Oil & Gas Royalty Calculator](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/royalty-calculator) — decimal interest and monthly royalty income at live WTI & Henry Hub

[Dormant Mineral Deadline Calculator](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/dormant-mineral-deadline-calculator) — when an unused interest can be at risk under a state dormancy statute

[Mineral Ownership Flowchart](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/ownership-flowchart) — which public record establishes who owns the minerals

[Compare Mineral Rights by State](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/compare-states) — severance tax, dormancy and royalty rules side by side

[Find Your Royalty Payor](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/find-your-payor) — the operator behind the company name on your check stub

[All owner tools](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/tools)

**Sell mineral rights:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell
**Operator directory:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/operators