How a Good Landman Can Put More Money in Your Pocket
When mineral owners compare offers, most naturally focus on one question: “What is the price?”
But the price per acre only matters if the buyer correctly determines how many acres you own.
A mineral transaction can begin with an attractive offer and still result in a disappointing closing if the buyer’s title review reduces the seller’s acreage, excludes certain interests, or identifies a title issue it is unwilling—or unable—to resolve. That is why the experience and approach of the landman handling your transaction can be just as important as the original offer.
At Liberty Mineral Partners, our goal is not to find reasons to reduce what we pay. We want to identify everything the seller owns, prove as much ownership as the records support, and work through legitimate title issues whenever possible. Your Royalty Statement May Not Tell the Whole Story
Many mineral owners assume the royalty interest shown on a check stub or division order definitively establishes their ownership. It is an important piece of information, but it may not tell the entire story.
Determining mineral ownership can require reviewing:
- Deeds and prior mineral reservations
- Probate and estate records
- Affidavits of heirship
- Oil and gas leases and amendments
- Pooling and unit documents
- Depth and formation limitations
- Assignments and conveyances
- Operator division orders and pay records
- Legal descriptions covering multiple tracts
A royalty decimal can also be affected by unit size, tract participation, allocation formulas, royalty burdens, and the specific well being paid. Simply working backward from one decimal does not always produce the correct number of net mineral acres.
In some cases, a detailed title review confirms that an owner has fewer acres than originally believed. In others, it uncovers additional ownership, depths, tracts, or royalty rights that were overlooked or incorrectly calculated.
The quality of the title work—and the willingness of the buyer to investigate—can directly affect the amount paid at closing.
A Good Landman Looks for What You Own
Not every mineral buyer approaches title the same way.
Some companies base their offer on preliminary information and then rely on outside title reviewers whose primary job is to identify risk. When an inconsistency appears, the easiest response may be to reduce the acreage, lower the price, or exclude the interest entirely.
A good landman goes further.
The right landman does not merely point out a problem. He investigates it. That may mean following the title back another generation, locating a missing probate document, reconciling conflicting legal descriptions, reviewing how an interest was reserved, or explaining why an operator’s pay decimal does not reflect the owner’s complete interest.
That extra effort can be the difference between an unexplained deduction and a successful closing.
The Experience Nick Kreines Brings to LMP Transactions
At Liberty Mineral Partners, that work is led by Nick Kreines.
Nick holds the Certified Professional Landman designation, commonly known as the CPL. The CPL is a respected professional credential within the oil and gas land industry and reflects demonstrated knowledge and experience in areas such as mineral ownership, title, contracts, leasing, ethics, and land practices.
Nick is also a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen and the Austin Association of Professional Landmen. These professional affiliations help keep him connected to industry standards, continuing education, and the legal and technical developments affecting mineral ownership and transactions.
More importantly, Nick applies that experience directly to LMP’s closings.
He works with mineral owners, title attorneys, operators, county records, and the rest of the LMP team to:
- Verify the seller’s mineral and royalty ownership
- Investigate discrepancies in acreage or royalty decimals
- Identify interests that may have been overlooked
- Review deeds, leases, probate documents, and assignments
- Explain title requirements in understandable terms
- Help obtain documents needed to cure title issues
- Challenge unsupported acreage reductions
- Work toward a fair resolution when the records are unclear
Nick’s job is not to automatically accept the lowest ownership calculation. His job is to reach the calculation best supported by the title records—and to advocate for that conclusion at closing.
What Does It Mean to “Go to Bat” for a Mineral Owner?
Going to bat for a seller does not mean ignoring a legitimate title defect or paying for acreage the seller does not own. It means not taking the easiest or most buyer-friendly interpretation simply because the title is complicated.
Suppose a preliminary report says that an owner has 20 net mineral acres, but a later review suggests only 15. Before reducing the purchase price, several questions should be answered:
Suppose a preliminary report says that an owner has 20 net mineral acres, but a later review suggests only 15. Before reducing the purchase price, several questions should be answered:
- Was every relevant deed reviewed?
- Was there a later corrective instrument?
- Did the reservation apply to all depths or only certain formations?
- Was the interest inherited through an estate that has not been fully reflected in the operator’s records?
- Is the royalty decimal being applied to the correct tract and unit?
- Did the operator calculate participation differently for separate wells?
- Does an older deed contain language that changes the apparent ownership?
Sometimes the lower figure is correct. Sometimes it is not. The mineral owner deserves more than an unexplained change to the closing statement.
At LMP, we believe sellers should understand what changed, why it changed, and what evidence supports the final determination.
Clearing Title Can Create Value Beyond the Sale
Good land work can benefit an owner even when a transaction does not close immediately.
Resolving an heirship issue, correcting a legal description, identifying a missing conveyance, or documenting the proper chain of ownership can make an interest easier to sell, transfer, or leave to heirs in the future. It may also help an owner address suspended royalties or correct inaccurate operator records.
In that sense, title work is not merely a hurdle between signing and funding. It can create lasting value by giving the mineral owner a clearer understanding of exactly what the family owns.
Ask Who Will Handle Your Title Before You Sign
Before accepting an offer, mineral owners should ask prospective buyers several questions:
- Who will review my title?
- Does your company have an experienced landman involved in the transaction?
- Will you explain any acreage or price adjustment in writing?
- If a title problem appears, will you help me resolve it?
- What happens if your research shows that I own more than originally estimated?
- Will the purchase price increase if additional ownership is confirmed?
- Are you purchasing the interest directly, or are you trying to assign the contract to another buyer?
The answers can reveal a great deal about how the company will behave after the contract is signed.
The LMP Difference
Liberty Mineral Partners wants to complete transactions that are fair, understandable, and supported by careful research.
We cannot promise that every title review will uncover additional acreage. What we can promise is that we will take the ownership analysis seriously. When the records support the seller, we will work to prove it. When a title issue can reasonably be cured, we will help pursue a solution. And when an adjustment is necessary, we will explain the basis for it.
A strong offer gets a mineral owner’s attention. Strong land work helps ensure that the offer turns into the right amount at closing.
That is the value of having a Certified Professional Landman like Nick Kreines working on your transaction—and one of the reasons mineral owners choose to work with Liberty Mineral Partners.
How a Good Landman Can Put More Money in Your Pocket
When mineral owners compare offers, most naturally focus on one question: “What is the price?”
But the price per acre only matters if the buyer correctly determines how many acres you own.
A mineral transaction can begin with an attractive offer and still result in a disappointing closing if the buyer’s title review reduces the seller’s acreage, excludes certain interests, or identifies a title issue it is unwilling—or unable—to resolve. That is why the experience and approach of the landman handling your transaction can be just as important as the original offer.
At Liberty Mineral Partners, our goal is not to find reasons to reduce what we pay. We want to identify everything the seller owns, prove as much ownership as the records support, and work through legitimate title issues whenever possible. Your Royalty Statement May Not Tell the Whole Story
Many mineral owners assume the royalty interest shown on a check stub or division order definitively establishes their ownership. It is an important piece of information, but it may not tell the entire story.
Determining mineral ownership can require reviewing:
- Deeds and prior mineral reservations
- Probate and estate records
- Affidavits of heirship
- Oil and gas leases and amendments
- Pooling and unit documents
- Depth and formation limitations
- Assignments and conveyances
- Operator division orders and pay records
- Legal descriptions covering multiple tracts
A royalty decimal can also be affected by unit size, tract participation, allocation formulas, royalty burdens, and the specific well being paid. Simply working backward from one decimal does not always produce the correct number of net mineral acres.
In some cases, a detailed title review confirms that an owner has fewer acres than originally believed. In others, it uncovers additional ownership, depths, tracts, or royalty rights that were overlooked or incorrectly calculated.
The quality of the title work—and the willingness of the buyer to investigate—can directly affect the amount paid at closing.
A Good Landman Looks for What You Own
Not every mineral buyer approaches title the same way.
Some companies base their offer on preliminary information and then rely on outside title reviewers whose primary job is to identify risk. When an inconsistency appears, the easiest response may be to reduce the acreage, lower the price, or exclude the interest entirely.
A good landman goes further.
The right landman does not merely point out a problem. He investigates it. That may mean following the title back another generation, locating a missing probate document, reconciling conflicting legal descriptions, reviewing how an interest was reserved, or explaining why an operator’s pay decimal does not reflect the owner’s complete interest.
That extra effort can be the difference between an unexplained deduction and a successful closing.
The Experience Nick Kreines Brings to LMP Transactions
At Liberty Mineral Partners, that work is led by Nick Kreines.
Nick holds the Certified Professional Landman designation, commonly known as the CPL. The CPL is a respected professional credential within the oil and gas land industry and reflects demonstrated knowledge and experience in areas such as mineral ownership, title, contracts, leasing, ethics, and land practices.
Nick is also a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen and the Austin Association of Professional Landmen. These professional affiliations help keep him connected to industry standards, continuing education, and the legal and technical developments affecting mineral ownership and transactions.
More importantly, Nick applies that experience directly to LMP’s closings.
He works with mineral owners, title attorneys, operators, county records, and the rest of the LMP team to:
- Verify the seller’s mineral and royalty ownership
- Investigate discrepancies in acreage or royalty decimals
- Identify interests that may have been overlooked
- Review deeds, leases, probate documents, and assignments
- Explain title requirements in understandable terms
- Help obtain documents needed to cure title issues
- Challenge unsupported acreage reductions
- Work toward a fair resolution when the records are unclear
Nick’s job is not to automatically accept the lowest ownership calculation. His job is to reach the calculation best supported by the title records—and to advocate for that conclusion at closing.
What Does It Mean to “Go to Bat” for a Mineral Owner?
Going to bat for a seller does not mean ignoring a legitimate title defect or paying for acreage the seller does not own. It means not taking the easiest or most buyer-friendly interpretation simply because the title is complicated.
Suppose a preliminary report says that an owner has 20 net mineral acres, but a later review suggests only 15. Before reducing the purchase price, several questions should be answered:
Suppose a preliminary report says that an owner has 20 net mineral acres, but a later review suggests only 15. Before reducing the purchase price, several questions should be answered:
- Was every relevant deed reviewed?
- Was there a later corrective instrument?
- Did the reservation apply to all depths or only certain formations?
- Was the interest inherited through an estate that has not been fully reflected in the operator’s records?
- Is the royalty decimal being applied to the correct tract and unit?
- Did the operator calculate participation differently for separate wells?
- Does an older deed contain language that changes the apparent ownership?
Sometimes the lower figure is correct. Sometimes it is not. The mineral owner deserves more than an unexplained change to the closing statement.
At LMP, we believe sellers should understand what changed, why it changed, and what evidence supports the final determination.
Clearing Title Can Create Value Beyond the Sale
Good land work can benefit an owner even when a transaction does not close immediately.
Resolving an heirship issue, correcting a legal description, identifying a missing conveyance, or documenting the proper chain of ownership can make an interest easier to sell, transfer, or leave to heirs in the future. It may also help an owner address suspended royalties or correct inaccurate operator records.
In that sense, title work is not merely a hurdle between signing and funding. It can create lasting value by giving the mineral owner a clearer understanding of exactly what the family owns.
Ask Who Will Handle Your Title Before You Sign
Before accepting an offer, mineral owners should ask prospective buyers several questions:
- Who will review my title?
- Does your company have an experienced landman involved in the transaction?
- Will you explain any acreage or price adjustment in writing?
- If a title problem appears, will you help me resolve it?
- What happens if your research shows that I own more than originally estimated?
- Will the purchase price increase if additional ownership is confirmed?
- Are you purchasing the interest directly, or are you trying to assign the contract to another buyer?
The answers can reveal a great deal about how the company will behave after the contract is signed.
The LMP Difference
Liberty Mineral Partners wants to complete transactions that are fair, understandable, and supported by careful research.
We cannot promise that every title review will uncover additional acreage. What we can promise is that we will take the ownership analysis seriously. When the records support the seller, we will work to prove it. When a title issue can reasonably be cured, we will help pursue a solution. And when an adjustment is necessary, we will explain the basis for it.
A strong offer gets a mineral owner’s attention. Strong land work helps ensure that the offer turns into the right amount at closing.
That is the value of having a Certified Professional Landman like Nick Kreines working on your transaction—and one of the reasons mineral owners choose to work with Liberty Mineral Partners.