Dallas, TX-based Shale Mineral Acquisitions is a privately-owned mineral rights firm. The company has the same executive team and advisers as Concordia Petroleum, which was one the very first firms to get involved in selling rights to the Cline. CEO John Merritt takes on a higher level of responsibility than most mineral rights buyers. Rather than simply listening to what the oil companies in the region say, he can be found driving around oil fields, researching permits filed with the county, and talking to workers about new developments without a corporate spin.