{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-environment-15-1201","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Environment § 15–1201","heading":"","body":"(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.\n(b) “Mineral” includes:\n(1) Gas;\n(2) Oil and oil shale;\n(3) Coal;\n(4) Gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons;\n(5) Cement materials, sand and gravel, road materials, and building stone;\n(6) Chemical substances;\n(7) Gemstone, metallic, fissionable, and nonfissionable ores; and\n(8) Colloidal and other clay, steam, and geothermal resources.\n(c) “Mineral interest” means an interest in a mineral estate, however created and regardless of form, whether absolute or fractional, divided or undivided, corporeal or incorporeal, including a fee simple or any lesser interest or any kind of royalty, production payment, executive right, nonexecutive right, leasehold, or lien in minerals, regardless of character.\n(d) “Severed mineral interest” means a mineral interest that is severed from the interest in the surface estate overlying the mineral interest.\n(e) “Surface estate” means an interest in the estate overlying a mineral interest.\n(f) (1) “Surface owner” means any person vested with a whole or undivided fee simple interest or other freehold interest in the surface estate.\n(2) “Surface owner” does not include the owner of a right–of–way, easement, or leasehold on the surface estate.\n(g) (1) “Unknown or missing owner” means any person vested with a severed mineral interest whose present identity or location cannot be determined:\n(i) From the records of the county where the severed mineral interest is located; or\n(ii) By diligent inquiry in the vicinity of the owner’s last known place of residence.\n(2) “Unknown or missing owner” includes the heirs, successors, or assignees of an unknown or missing owner.","path":["Article - Environment"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gen\u0026section=15-1201","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:57:58Z","sha256":"43cd5b82074d6833d4978ce5b69005ddbdfb3b69ebc385ee1730c7a26690c4aa","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-environment-15-1109","next":"us-md/md.-code-environment-15-1202"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}