Call us before you sign anything.
We work for the mineral rights owner. Like a real estate agent represents a home seller, we represent you — protecting your rights, maximizing your value, and working exclusively on your side.
Let our family represent your family.
No upfront cost for an initial offer or lease review.
Oliver Natural Resources is a mineral rights advisory firm. Oil companies and independent buyers send trained professionals to negotiate against you every day. We're the professionals on your side. The power is yours. We make sure you're using it with the same information they have.
Before you sign, know what
you're actually giving up.
This is a real transaction we negotiated. The only thing the landowner did differently was call us first.
"One overlooked sentence can cost your family money for generations."
Have a lease like this? Talk to us first →We do not buy mineral rights.
We protect the people who own them.
We represent you — not the buyer.
Every oil company and mineral buyer in the country sends trained negotiators to acquire your rights at the lowest number they think you'll accept. ONR is the only person in that conversation working for you.
The first offer is written for them.
No operator writes a lease that favors the landowner. The terms they send are a starting point — their starting point. We know what every clause means and what it costs you if you sign it as-is.
You still make every decision.
We negotiate, advise, and inform — but you control every step. We tell you what the offer means, what we think it's worth, and what we can realistically improve. Then you say yes or no.
We handle the whole process —
from the first offer through closing.
Lease Negotiation
A lease is a contract that can affect your rights for decades. We read every clause, push back on every unfavorable term, and make sure you actually understand what you're signing before you sign it.
The royalty rate, the Pugh clause, post-production deductions, surface-use rights, the primary term — each one affects how much you make and for how long. A standard lease offered by the operator is written to minimize what they pay you. We change that.
Mineral Rights Sales & Buyer Outreach
The buyer who sent a letter to your mailbox is one offer. We represent you to hundreds of qualified buyers across the country — creating real competition for your rights and driving the price up to what the market will actually bear.
Most landowners negotiate with whoever happened to contact them. We flip that equation. We go to the market on your behalf, so you're choosing the best offer — not accepting the only one you received.
Offer Review & Due Diligence
Got an offer and not sure what to make of it? We dig into the details, flag anything that looks wrong, and explain what it actually means in plain language. No guessing. No surprises.
The offer you received is a document written by the buyer's legal team. You deserve someone on your side who can read it the same way.
Mineral Rights Sales
The first offer is rarely the best. We know comparable market values and negotiate until the price reflects them.
Title Examination
We find title gaps before closing, when they're still fixable — not after, when they're expensive.
Royalty Review
Already under a lease? We audit statements line by line. Many owners are underpaid and don't know it.
Legal Document Support
Our team includes legal resources to review agreements, flag problematic language, and make sure nothing gets signed that shouldn't be.
Full Representation
From first contact through closing. You don't take a single call from the operator. That's our job.
Before you accept the bonus, understand what you're giving up.
This is the kind of lease language we find — and fix — every day. Most landowners never know these clauses are there.
LESSOR hereby grants, leases and lets exclusively unto LESSEE, its successors and assigns, for the purpose of investigating, exploring, prospecting, drilling and mining for and producing oil, gas and all other hydrocarbons, laying pipelines, building tanks, power stations, telephone lines and other structures thereon...
...all costs of production, gathering, storing, separating, treating, dehydrating, compressing, processing, transporting and otherwise making the oil, gas and other products hereunder ready for sale or use shall be borne and deducted from Lessor's royalty share in the same proportion as Lessor's royalty bears to the total production...
...this lease shall remain in force as long as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities from any well or wells on the leased premises or on lands pooled or unitized therewith, notwithstanding the expiration of the primary term and without limitation as to the acreage held by production from any single well...
...Lessee shall have the right to use, free of charge, such oil, gas, coal, wood, water and other resources of the leased premises as Lessee may find necessary in the conduct of its operations hereunder. Lessee may construct roads, lay pipelines and erect structures as necessary...
...If at the expiration of the primary term oil or gas is not being produced on the leased premises, Lessee may nevertheless maintain this lease in force by payment or tender of rental in the amount of $3.00 per acre per year for a shut-in period not to exceed sixty (60) days, after which this lease shall be deemed abandoned...
[Continued — Page 1 of 6 · Lessor initials required: ______]
Example for illustration purposes. Every agreement is different — these clause types are common, not universal. Results vary.
Your land is personal. Your representation should be too.
Oliver Natural Resources was founded in 2002 by John Paul Oliver — founder of Oliver Natural Resources, with more than fifty years of experience in real estate and land transactions in western Pennsylvania. When oil and gas companies began flooding western PA with lease and purchase offers, John recognized something immediately: he knew a bad deal when he saw one.
He started helping friends navigate the offers they were receiving. Those friends told other friends. Word spread the way it does in a small community — because the results were real. That's how ONR came to be.
Today, John's son Gian carries that mission forward as second-generation owner. The philosophy hasn't changed: you own the minerals, you make every decision. Our job is to make sure you're sitting at that table with the same information — and the same professional representation — the other side has always had.
This is what calling first looks like.
David had an offer on the table. He called us before signing. We took his rights to our buyer network, ran a competitive process, and drove the price from $4,000 to $8,500 per acre — more than doubling what the original offer was. He made every decision. We handled every conversation.
Results vary by transaction. All figures represent actual closed deals.
Their sister owned adjacent mineral rights and sold to the same buyer — without representation. Tim and Jen called us first. Same buyer, same land type, same transaction. Same week.
We got them $1,000 more per acre than their sister received from the exact same buyer, on the exact same land type. The only difference was having someone in their corner.
Results vary by transaction. Acreage estimated to protect client privacy.
Patricia received a standard form lease in the mail and almost signed it. She called ONR first. We tripled her bonus, added 6.25 royalty points, excluded all post-production deductions, shortened the primary term by two years, and added a Pugh clause protecting her unleased acreage. The operator signed it.
Results vary by transaction. All figures represent actual closed deals.
Robert and Linda had been contacted by one mineral buyer offering $3,200 per acre. They thought it seemed reasonable. Instead of negotiating with that one buyer, ONR took their rights to market — contacting qualified buyers nationwide and running a structured competitive process.
Competition is the most powerful tool in a mineral rights sale. The buyer who sends the letter knows they're the only offer you have. ONR changes that equation — and the price reflects it.
Results vary by transaction. All figures represent actual closed deals.
In every case, the landowner walked away with significantly more — even after ONR's fee was paid by the buyer or operator at closing.
Schedule a Free ConsultationIt's pretty simple, actually.
We meet — your way
A quick call, a video chat, or we come to you in person. Tell us your situation — whether you've received an offer or just know you own mineral rights. No paperwork, no pressure.
We assess and advise
We tell you exactly what your rights are worth, what any offer on the table means, and — if you haven't gotten one yet — whether we should go find you buyers.
We go to work
We negotiate terms, review every clause, and take your rights to our buyer network to create real competition. You don't take a single call from operators or buyers — that's our job.
You decide
We bring you the best offer available. You accept or walk away — always your call. We're only paid when you accept a sale or lease we negotiated — at closing, by the buyer. No deal, no fee, no upfront money ever.
Let's talk about your mineral rights.
A conversation costs nothing and could be worth a great deal.
Already received an offer? We'll review every term and tell you what's fair, what's missing, and what can be improved. Haven't gotten an offer yet — or only got one? We can take your mineral rights to our buyer network and run a competitive process that creates real offers, not just the one that showed up in your mailbox.
The first step is a conversation. Send us your information and we'll reach out — by phone, video, or in person. If you're in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or Ohio, we're happy to come to you.
How the fee works:
We charge 10%, paid at closing directly by the buyer or operator. Because we negotiate significantly higher values and run competitive processes, our clients walk away with more even after our fee. No deal — no charge. Period.
Request a free consultation
We'll call you within one business day to set up a time.
Frequently asked questions
about mineral rights negotiation.
What is a mineral rights agency?
A mineral rights agency represents mineral rights owners in negotiations with oil and gas companies — the same way a real estate agent represents a home seller. Oliver Natural Resources reviews your lease or purchase offer, identifies unfavorable terms, and negotiates improved terms on your behalf. We work exclusively for you, not the buyer or operator.
How much does it cost to hire a mineral rights advisor?
Oliver Natural Resources charges a 10% fee paid at closing by the buyer or operator — not by you. There are no upfront fees, no retainers, and no charges if no deal closes. You only pay if we successfully negotiate and close a deal.
What is a fair royalty rate for mineral rights?
Royalty rates typically range from 12.5% to 25%, depending on region, formation, and operator. The standard lease offered is often 12.5% to 15%. Through negotiation, we routinely secure 18% to 20% or higher. The final rate depends on your specific location, acreage, and market conditions.
What is a Pugh clause in a mineral rights lease?
A Pugh clause releases any acreage not included in a producing well unit from the lease at the end of the primary term. Without one, operators can hold all of your mineral rights with just one producing well — preventing you from renegotiating or leasing the remaining acreage at better terms.
Should I sell or lease my mineral rights?
Leasing gives you a bonus payment upfront plus ongoing royalty income while retaining ownership. Selling transfers ownership permanently for a lump sum. The right choice depends on your financial needs, production potential, and current market prices. We can review your specific offer and help you understand which option makes the most financial sense.
What are post-production deductions and how do they affect my royalty?
Post-production deductions are costs — gathering, compression, processing, transportation — charged against your royalty by the operator. They can reduce your actual royalty income by 20% to 40%. A well-negotiated lease excludes or caps these deductions. ONR identifies these clauses and negotiates them out on your behalf.
What should I do if I received an offer to buy my mineral rights?
Before signing anything, contact a mineral rights advisor to review the offer. Buyers typically offer the lowest price they think you will accept. We can evaluate whether the offer reflects fair market value and — if you choose — take your mineral rights to our network of qualified buyers to create competition and drive the price up.
What states does Oliver Natural Resources serve?
We work with mineral rights owners nationwide, with deep experience in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, and North Dakota. We are based in Pennsylvania with strong familiarity in Marcellus and Utica shale formations across the Appalachian Basin.
These are just the most common questions. We answered thirty more — about selling, royalties, division orders, landmen, and the fine print.
See All Questions & AnswersNot a call center. Not a mineral buyer.
Your representative.
Family-owned means we pick up the phone and respond to emails ourselves. If you send us a message, a person reads it.
Location
Appalachian · Permian · Marcellus · Utica · and more