Division of Minerals Evaluation

The Division of Minerals Evaluation (DME) is a small team of professionals within AVSO with expertise in economic geology, geologic and petroleum engineering, and mineral economics. Our team members have diverse backgrounds in government service and private industry.

DME provides unbiased minerals evaluation and valuation services to federal agencies both within and outside of DOI, for federally managed and entrusted lands, in accordance with federal regulations, agency policies, and relevant professional and ethical standards.

Areas of Responsibility

  • Mineral valuation expertise to aid appraisals for realty transactions such as acquisitions, sales, probates, land exchanges, and disposals (e.g., NPV of future royalties, identifying comparable sales, and other value considerations)
  • Mineral evaluations (e.g., due diligence reporting, mineral occurrence and development potential, etc.)
  • Mineral leasing analyses for determining lease terms including cash bonuses (e.g., coal, oil and gas, and mineral materials)
  • Mineral trespass review and valuation
  • Independent technical reviews of third-party mineral evaluation and valuation reports and lease agreements

Funding

DME is primarily funded with federal dollars from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Indian Trust Appropriations. In addition, several reimbursable service agreements (RSAs) provide significant portions of the operating budget. These RSAs typically include funding from the Division of Trust Land Consolidation, the Bureau of Land Management, and other federal clients.

Cathy Kilgore
Minerals Director, Division of Minerals Evaluation
Catherine_Kilgore@ios.doi.gov 

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