# Sell Mineral Rights in La Plata County, Colorado | Berlin Royalties > Selling mineral rights in La Plata County, Colorado? Berlin buys Fruitland coal, Dakota and Mesaverde royalties around Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio. Free fee versus trust determination. Source: https://www.berlinroyalties.com/colorado/la-plata-county/ Publisher: Berlin Royalties, a veteran-owned oil and gas mineral and royalty buyer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, buying for its own account since 2014. Call or text 918-984-1645. License: free to quote and cite with attribution to Berlin Royalties and a link to the source URL. Where We Buy · Colorado · La Plata County ## Sell your La Plata County mineral rights. Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio: northern San Juan Basin coalbed methane in decline, a Dakota horizontal revival, and the most consequential tribal title question we deal with anywhere. [Get a Free Valuation](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/free-valuation/) or call or text [918-984-1645](tel:9189841645) La Plata County is the northern San Juan Basin, and the first question about any interest here is not what it produces but whether it can be bought at all. The Southern Ute Indian Reservation covers the southern portion of the county in a genuine checkerboard of tribal trust, allotted, fee, and federal minerals. Interests in restricted Indian land are not freely conveyable and require Bureau of Indian Affairs approval, and allotted interests are heavily fractionated by heirship. We make that determination free and we tell you the answer even when it means we cannot buy what you have. The second distinctive issue is the coalbed methane ownership question, and this county is where it was settled. Amoco Production Co. v. Southern Ute Indian Tribe, decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1999, arose from these lands and held that coal reserved under the 1909 and 1910 Coal Lands Acts does not include coalbed methane. Fruitland coalbed methane therefore belongs to the oil and gas estate. Every La Plata chain should be run against that holding. On the asset itself: Fruitland coalbed methane at Ignacio-Blanco has historically been roughly 90 percent of the county's oil and gas value and is in long, documented decline, with most wells drilled around 1990. Against that, a horizontal Dakota revival is underway, and Dakota now leads the county by well count. Red Willow Production, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe's exploration and production arm, is a major operator alongside Catamount, Simcoe, BP America, Enduring, and Logos. Send us a legal description and we will tell you what category you are in. Drilling Activity · Updated 2026-08-17 ## What's happening in La Plata County right now Active Rigs 1 Running for Mach Natural Resources LP Permits, Last 90 Days 2 Most active: Logos Operating LLC Completions, Last 90 Days 0 New wells turned to sales in the county. County totals. Source: Enverus, as of 2026-08-17. Rigs are currently active; permits are those approved in the last 90 days; completions are wells reporting first production in the last 90 days, which lags by state. A zero does not mean nothing is happening, only that nothing was reported in that window. Activity like this is exactly what moves mineral value. If it is happening near you, find out what your interest is worth before you take anyone's offer. Formations & Plays ## What produces here ### Fruitland coal The core coalbed methane producer at Ignacio-Blanco Field, spaced at 320 acres with optional infill. Most wells were drilled around 1990. ### Dakota Now the county's leading formation by well count, reflecting a horizontal Dakota revival. ### Pictured Cliffs, Mesaverde and Lewis Shale Additional stacked intervals, historically developed as separate wellbores on separate spacing rather than co-developed benches. Counties ## Communities we see in La Plata County title Durango Bayfield Ignacio Hesperus Marvel Fort Lewis Wherever your tract sits in La Plata County, we will research it free and value it with the work shown. Questions ## Straight answers for La Plata County owners Are my La Plata County minerals inside the Southern Ute Reservation? This has to be answered before anything else, and we will do it free. The Southern Ute Indian Reservation covers the southern portion of the county and is a genuine checkerboard of tribal trust, allotted, fee, and federal minerals. Interests in restricted Indian land are not freely conveyable and require Bureau of Indian Affairs approval. A private buyer generally cannot purchase trust or allotted interests at all. Establishing which category your interest falls into is the first step and it changes everything that follows. Does my coal owner own the coalbed methane? Under the controlling authority, generally no, and this county is where the question was decided. Amoco Production Co. v. Southern Ute Indian Tribe, decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1999, arose from these very lands and held that coal reserved to the United States under the 1909 and 1910 Coal Lands Acts does not include coalbed methane. So Fruitland coalbed methane belongs to the oil and gas estate rather than the coal owner. Every La Plata coalbed methane chain of title should be run against that holding rather than assumed. Is La Plata County declining or recovering? Both, in different formations. The Fruitland coalbed methane that historically made up roughly 90 percent of the county's oil and gas value is in a long documented decline, with most wells drilled around 1990 chasing Section 29 tax credits. At the same time there is a modest horizontal Dakota revival, with Logos Operating permitting Elway horizontals in December 2025 and Dakota now leading the county by well count. Roughly 2,139 wells produce out of 5,332 drilled. Free Valuation ## Find out what your La Plata County minerals are worth. Free, no obligation, and no pressure. We reply within one business day, usually faster. Prefer the phone? Call or text [918-984-1645](tel:9189841645) and you will get Stephen, the owner, not a call center. If we miss you, we text back the same day. Your Name Phone Number Email Address Where are your minerals located? OklahomaTexasNew MexicoLouisiana ArkansasKansasNorth DakotaMontana WyomingColoradoUtahCalifornia West VirginiaOhioPennsylvaniaKentucky MichiganMississippiAlabamaAlaska Sand/Gravel/AggregateOther / Not sure County (if known) Interest type Select an option Minerals and Royalties Working Interest Overriding Royalty Interest An Entity (LLC, Partnership, Trust) Not Sure Are you currently receiving royalty checks? Select an option Yes No I Used To But They Stopped Not Sure Have you received offers for your minerals before? Select an option Yes No What best describes your situation? Select an option I'm ready to sell now I'm exploring my options I'm just curious what they're worth Anything else? (optional) Get My Free Valuation No cost, no obligation, and we never share your information.