Property Ownership

In Massachusetts, subsurface mineral rights:

AAlways belong to the state government
BBelong to the surface owner unless separately conveyed✓ Correct
CCannot be separately owned from the surface
DAre automatically reserved to the federal government

Explanation

In Massachusetts, subsurface mineral rights belong to the surface owner as part of the bundle of rights unless they have been separately conveyed by deed. Massachusetts does not have significant oil and gas extraction so this is less commercially significant than in other states.

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