Ownership of minerals is tantamount to ownership of what in West Virginia?

In West Virginia, ownership of minerals is considered to be tantamount to ownership of real estate because minerals are classified as part of the land and its resources. This principle stems from the legal concept that when a person owns land, they also own everything underneath it, including minerals, oil, gas, and other natural resources, unless they have been severed from the land through a prior transaction.

When dealing with property rights in real estate, the ownership extends not only to the surface but includes the subsurface rights as well. This concept is crucial in discussions surrounding land use, natural resource extraction, and property rights, illustrating that mineral rights are inherently tied to the rights associated with the surface land. This distinction underlines the broad scope of property ownership in real estate, differentiating it from other categories such as personal property, consumer goods, or intellectual property, each of which has its own legal framework and implications.