Imagine that you have inherited a fractional share in the mineral rights to a particular site in either East Texas or the Canadian Arctic. (You can pick one from a list of hypothetical sites, or choose your own.)

1. How can you analyze their current and future value?
2. Do you keep the rights or sell them? You'll need to analyze current trends in use and valuation, and also whether the rights may apply to a resource that has a seemingly unlimited supply or is likely to be depleted soon.
3. Are there ethical questions to be considered?
4. Among your concerns is how the business of mineral extraction and mining operates, how the minerals are assessed and marketed, and how the whole process is taxed. Is this newfound gain an asset or a liability?