What is the primary reason a surface owner cannot lease land for oil and gas?

The primary reason a surface owner cannot lease land for oil and gas is that they do not own the mineral rights. In many cases, the rights to the surface and the underlying minerals can be separated. This means that while a person may own the land on the surface, they may not necessarily own the rights to the minerals beneath it. If the mineral rights are owned by another party, that party has the exclusive authority to lease those rights for oil and gas development. The distinction between surface and mineral rights is a key component of land use and property ownership laws, allowing for different entities to have control over different aspects of the land. Thus, without the ownership of mineral rights, the surface owner cannot legally enter into leases for oil and gas extraction.