Mineral rights refer to the legal rights to explore, extract, and sell minerals found beneath the surface of a property. These minerals can include valuable resources such as oil, natural gas, coal, and metals. Owning mineral rights means you have the authority to profit from these resources, even if you do not own the land above them. In many cases, mineral rights can be separated from surface rights, allowing different parties to own the land and the minerals beneath it. This separation can lead to agreements where landowners lease their mineral rights to companies for exploration and extraction, often resulting in royalty payments for the landowners.