Louisiana Revised Statutes & Codes
La. Rev. Stat. § 31:6 (2026)
Right to search for fugitive minerals; elements of ownership of land
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§6. Right to search for fugitive minerals; elements of ownership of land
Ownership of land does not include ownership of oil, gas, and other minerals occurring naturally in liquid or gaseous form, or of any elements or compounds in solution, emulsion, or association with such minerals. The landowner has the exclusive right to explore and develop his property for the production of such minerals and to reduce them to possession and ownership.
Acts 1974, No. 50, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1975.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 26
cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1978–2024 · leading case: Succession of Doll v. Doll, 593 So. 2d 1239 (La. 1992).
Succession of Doll v. Doll, 593 So. 2d 1239 (La. 1992). “La. Rev.Stat.Ann. § 31:6 (West 1989). Although the right to explore and develop one's property for the production of minerals, and to reduce minerals to possession and ownership, belongs exclusively to the landowner, id.”
Amoco Prod. Co. v. Thompson, 516 So. 2d 376 (La. Ct. App. 1987). “R.S. 31:6 and 7. Commissioner's Order No.”
MOBILE Expl. v. Certain Underwriters, 837 So. 2d 11 (La. Ct. App. 2002). “R.S. 31:6, which provides, "Ownership of land does not include ownership of oil, gas, and other minerals occurring naturally in liquid or gaseous form, or of any elements or compounds in solution, emulsion, or association with such minerals.”
Musser Davis Land Co. v. Union Pac. Resources, 201 F.3d 561 (5th Cir. 2000). “R.S. § 31:6; Frey v. Amoco Production Co.”
Doyal v. Pickett, 628 So. 2d 184 (La. Ct. App. 1993). “R.S. 31:6. A conveyance of land carries with it all incidents of ownership, including mineral rights, except such rights as may be expressly reserved.”
Crooks v. Louisiana Pac. Corp., 155 So. 3d 686 (La. Ct. App. 2014). “R.S. 31:6. “A landowner may convey, reserve, or lease his right to explore and develop his land for *688 production of minerals and to reduce them to possession.”
Steele v. Denning, 456 So. 2d 992 (La. 1984). “R.S. 31:6. That does not, however, change the fact that the creation of a mineral servitude effectively fragments the title such that different elements of ownership are held by different owners (i.”
Plaquemines Par. Gov't v. State, 826 So. 2d 14 (La. Ct. App. 2002). “R.S. 31:6: "Ownership of land does not include ownership of oil, gas, and other minerals occurring naturally in liquid or gaseous form, or of any elements or compounds in solution, emulsion, or association with such minerals.”
Tealwood Props., L.L.C. v. Succession of Graves, 64 So. 3d 397 (La. Ct. App. 2011). “R.S. 31:6 and 8) address the landowner’s exclusive right to explore and develop his property for the production of oil, gas, and other minerals occurring naturally in liquid or gaseous form.”
Sketoe v. Exxon Co., USA, 188 F.3d 596 (5th Cir. 1999). “La.Rev.Stat. Ann. § 31:6. . See id. § 31:15.”
Steele v. Denning, 445 So. 2d 94 (La. Ct. App. 1984). “Having summarized these accepted tenets relative to the nature of mineral rights, we proceed to point out that recognition of this established law is not dispositive of the primary question posed by this case: what elements of ownership in the 160 acres sought to be partitioned…”
Dillon v. Morgan, 362 So. 2d 1130 (La. Ct. App. 1978). “" R.S. 31:6, La. Mineral Code. Nonetheless, and however incorrect, "[t]he Louisiana mineral conveyancing system has a strong flavor of those [systems] in ownership jurisdictions.”
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