Sometimes life just happens, and people find themselves having to make tough financial decisions. Thankfully, mineral owners can sell their minerals for nearly immediate cash. There is a long history of selling mineral rights when hard times hit.
Sometimes having a lump sum of cash (imagine 10K - 100K) can drastically improve the quality of your life. This money could be used to buy a car, buy a house, remodel your kitchen, or give your daughter's wedding.
Oil and gas are finite resources, and all wells eventually run dry. Decline curves are steep (especially in shale plays), leaving mineral owners with less and less royalty income each month. Some mineral owners prefer to sell while the well or wells are still producing reasonable quantities of oil and gas.
As climate change becomes a more relevant and serious issue, many people feel guilty about receiving ongoing oil and gas royalties. A lot of people want to do their part to reduce their carbon footprint and lessen their contribution to climate change. That might be selling your minerals and buying solar panels.
Some people have no heirs, or more commonly, their heirs are not interested in owning mineral rights. Mineral owners who own a lot of minerals are also less likely to want to burden their heirs with the extensive time and energy required to properly manage the mineral rights.
Mineral owners with multiple interests are sometimes advised to sell part of their portfolio in order to diversify their assets (both as a whole and the type of minerals they own).
It can be burdensome and annoying to pay annual ad valorem (property) taxes and file state income taxes solely for the minimal royalties that you receive. This is especially true when you are not emotionally tied to the land your family once owned.
With the price of oil declining and operators practically giving gas away, I decided to sell before the bottom falls out.J. Cruz
I am on a fixed income, and the sale of these minerals will help me secure stable housing. My children will be okay if even if they don't inherit these minerals.S. Owens
My oil wells have been producing for decades and the reserves are almost depleted. Once the wells are plugged, the value will be significantly lower. I'd rather cash out now.R. Robertson
I inherited mineral rights, but don't want to be involved with fracking and fossil fuels. I would prefer to support renewable energy and do my part to reverse climate change.P. Harris
Although everyone says, "Never sell your minerals", my daughter needs a series of costly life-saving medical treatments. There are exceptions to every rule.L. Grady