A: Values are generally based on your proximity to current oil or gas production, as well as dry or abandoned wells. Bonus amounts paid for leasing your minerals are dependent on these factors and whether more than one company is competing for your lease.
A: It is important to keep mineral rights under lease to increase the chances of being included in a drilling unit, and hopefully realize the benefit of oil or gas production. Withholding a decision to lease with hopes of receiving more per-acre bonus money later on may work against you. As time goes by, exploration companies may change their area of interest based on geology or exceed their budgets for lease acquisition and decide to focus their resources elsewhere.
A: All oil and gas producing states rely on Commissions to oversee & enforce all laws pertaining to oil and gas production. State engineers set standards for pooling and spacing areas to protect adjacent landowners from drainage based on independent studies. Operators & purchasers are mandated by the commissions to report production rates and well status monthly.