Unlike Texas and common-law states, a mineral reservation in Louisiana creates merely a Mineral Servitude. Under Article 27 of the Louisiana Mineral Code, the servitude automatically expires after ten years of non-use, reuniting the mineral rights with the surface owner. We audit servitude prescription, examine parish conveyances, and research title across all 64 Louisiana parishes.
Determine whether a Louisiana mineral servitude remains active, is nearing statutory forfeiture, or has extinguished by operation of law. Export the completed Servitude Prescription Audit Schedule (.CSV).
| Clock Reset / Effective Date: | September 20, 2018 |
| 10-Year Prescription Expiration: | September 20, 2028 |
| Time Remaining on Servitude: | 2 Years, 16 Days |
| Governing Statutory Authority: | La. R.S. 31:29 (Art. 29) |
Our title landmen examine conveyance and mortgage indexes across all 64 Louisiana Clerks of Court.
Title examination for ultra-deep Haynesville and Bossier gas units. Resolving unitization orders issued by the Louisiana Office of Conservation and cross-checking historical Cotton Valley and Rodessa production records.
Full-period 50-year mineral runsheets tracking non-use lapses, dry hole spud affidavits, and surface reunions across historic timber and agricultural tracts.
Auditing environmental regulatory dockets, salt-water pit disclosures, and historical operator liability chains to protect landowners and operators from legacy contamination claims.
Tracking unit orders issued by the Commissioner of Conservation. Verifying whether off-tract unit drilling successfully interrupts prescription on the subject servitude under Article 33.
Whether auditing 15,000-foot Haynesville horizontal unit orders in Caddo and De Soto Parishes or tracking historical production platforms across South Louisiana wetlands, our abstractors understand the intricacies of Louisiana conservation units.
We trace well spuds, DNR completion reports, and compulsory unit borders under Article 33 to ensure mineral rights are clear, transparent, and undisputed.
Need a 30-year or 50-year parish title runsheet, an Affidavit of Non-Production, or a mineral servitude audit? Submit your section, township, and range details below.
Essential industry terminology, operational standards, and technical definitions.
Under the Louisiana Civil Code and Mineral Code Art. 21, a real right to explore for and produce minerals that cannot be owned in perpetuity.
Louisiana Mineral Code Art. 27 rule providing that mineral servitudes automatically extinguish after 10 years of non-use.
Actual drilling operations commenced in good faith with reasonable expectation of production resetting the 10-year clock under Art. 29.
The Louisiana parish official custodian of conveyance, mortgage, and civil suit public deed archives.
A formal production unit established by the Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation pooling separate tracts under state conservation law.
The official Department of Natural Resources database tracking well serial numbers, permit spuds, and monthly production.
No. Under Article 73 of the Louisiana Mineral Code, the 10-year period of liberative prescription cannot be extended by contract or agreement at the time the servitude is created. Any attempt to create a perpetual mineral servitude or extend the prescription window past 10 years in the initial deed is null and void as against Louisiana public policy.
Under Article 33 of the Louisiana Mineral Code, if a portion of the tract burdened by a servitude is included within a compulsory drilling unit established by the Commissioner of Conservation, operations on the unit will interrupt prescription on the portion of the servitude included in the unit, but not on the portion outside the unit, unless the unit well was actually drilled on the burdened tract itself.
Under Article 29, the drilling operations must be commenced in objective good faith, conducted to a depth at which there was a reasonable expectation of discovering minerals in paying quantities, and completed with reasonable diligence. A formal recorded affidavit of good-faith operations supported by well logs or DNR records is required for formal title review.
While extinction occurs automatically by operation of law upon the passage of ten years without use, title companies and operators require record evidence. The surface owner must prepare and record an Affidavit of Non-Production and Extinction of Mineral Servitude reciting the lack of operations, accompanied by a certificate or notice from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (SONRIS).
No. Our Landmen LLC provides petroleum landman title abstracting, runsheet assembly, and public records research. We are professional independent landmen, not attorneys. We do not provide legal title opinions or legal representation. We compile certified courthouse runsheets and mineral ownership reports that Louisiana title attorneys examine to render formal title opinions.