Focus Areas
Active across the
major U.S. plays.
We evaluate and acquire assets across the most prolific producing regions in the country — from the Appalachian Basin in the east to the Permian Basin in the west.
If you own mineral rights, royalties, or working interests anywhere across the United States, Cardinal Cove will give you a fair offer, a clear process, and a fast close. No middlemen, no runaround — just a straightforward process with clear communication every step of the way.
Cardinal Cove Energy Partners was founded by Bryant Kopriva and Ty Zieman — two Fort Worth-based oil and gas professionals with deep roots in the field and a shared belief that trust, excellence, and genuine relationships are the foundation of every good deal.
We are well funded with committed private capital, which means we can move quickly and close with certainty. When you reach out, someone from our team will follow up promptly.
We're not just a mineral and royalty buyer — we're a Fort Worth-based team with deep roots in oil and gas, a strong sense of purpose, and a genuine commitment to every person we work with.
Cardinal Cove Energy Partners was founded by Bryant Kopriva and Ty Zieman — two Fort Worth-based oil and gas professionals who met through a shared history of working in the field, evaluating rock, and closing deals across the country.
Between them, Bryant and Ty bring decades of hands-on experience spanning geoscience, subsurface evaluation, energy finance, and acquisitions. They've worked for some of the most respected names in the industry and have seen firsthand what separates good operators from great ones: it comes down to character and relationships.
Cardinal Cove is well funded with committed private capital, which means we can move with certainty and close on our commitments.
These aren't words on a wall. They're the commitments we make to every seller, every investor, and every partner we work with.
Cardinal Cove was built with family at its center — our own families in Fort Worth, and the landowners and mineral rights holders across the country who have stewarded their assets for generations. We treat every deal the way we'd want someone to treat our own family's assets: with honesty, care, and respect.
We say what we mean and we do what we say. Our offer is our offer — no last-minute retrading, no hidden terms, no pressure. We believe trust is earned through actions, not words, and we work to earn it in every interaction.
Bryant and Ty have spent their careers training under and working alongside the best in the business. We bring that same standard of rigor to every evaluation, every offer, and every closing we execute. Good enough is never the standard.
We love this business. The geology, the economics, the human stories behind every mineral estate — it all genuinely excites us. That curiosity drives us to evaluate opportunities more thoroughly, understand sellers' situations more deeply, and find solutions that work for everyone at the table.
The name Cardinal Cove didn't come from a branding exercise. It came from our kids.
Between the two of us, we have six children. When we sat down to name this company, we wanted something that meant something — not just a placeholder or a clever industry reference. Our kids’ initials are used to form the name Cardinal Cove.
Family is the reason we started this company, and it shapes how we run it. We think about the multigenerational mineral estates families have stewarded for decades. We think about the trust that's placed in us when someone calls to talk about selling something that belonged to their grandparents. We take that seriously — because we're fathers first, and partners second.
A cove is a sheltered place — calm water in a protected inlet, a spot where you can anchor without worrying about the open sea. That's the kind of partner we set out to be. Not transactional. Not anonymous. A place where landowners, mineral rights holders, and investors can come with confidence, knowing they'll be treated with honesty and care.
We evaluate and acquire assets across the most prolific producing regions in the country — from the Appalachian Basin in the east to the Permian Basin in the west.
Whether you've been receiving royalty checks for decades or inherited acreage you've never thought about — we have the expertise to evaluate it fairly and close quickly.
We don't limit ourselves to one asset type or one basin. Our team has the geoscience and financial expertise to evaluate minerals, royalties, and working interests across virtually any producing region in the United States.
We purchase mineral rights — the ownership of subsurface oil, gas, and other minerals. Producing, non-producing, or unleased acreage anywhere in the United States.
We acquire royalty interests — the right to receive a percentage of production revenue without bearing operating costs. If you receive a royalty check, we'd like to make you a fair offer.
We purchase overriding royalty interests carved out of the working interest.
We acquire and assume operatorship of producing properties. If you're ready to exit — to simplify your estate or redeploy capital — we can take over cleanly and efficiently.
We buy non-operated WI where another party operates. Whether you're a passive WI owner tired of AFEs and billings, or looking to monetize a legacy position, we're active buyers.
You don't need a producing well to sell. We evaluate non-producing minerals, undeveloped acreage, and unleased tracts based on geologic potential and comparable activity.
Many of the people we work with have inherited minerals or royalties and aren't entirely sure what they own. That's completely normal. Reach out and tell us what you know — we'll help you understand what you have and whether it makes sense to sell.
Our team brings complementary expertise across geoscience, finance, and land — and a shared commitment to doing business the right way.
Bryant is a geoscientist with over 14 years of oil and gas experience and a genuine passion for finding oil and gas. His career began at ExxonMobil, where he developed deep expertise in subsurface evaluation, well planning, geo-steering, and unconventional resource development across multiple basins.
He went on to co-found Trailhead Exploration, serving as EVP of Geology and leading exploration and development efforts in the Southern Oklahoma Marietta Basin. Bryant has worked extensively across the Permian Basin, Appalachia, the Rockies, and the Mid-Continent.
Bryant holds a BS and MS in Geological Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife and their three kids.
Ty brings over 16 years of energy finance, deal-making, and operational experience to Cardinal Cove. He began his career as an investment banking analyst and associate in the Energy & Power Group at Wells Fargo Securities in Houston, working on capital markets and M&A transactions across the upstream and midstream sectors.
He subsequently served as VP & CFO of Elevation Resources, a private equity-backed company focused on the Permian Basin, and later as EVP & CFO of Trailhead Exploration, a PE-backed E&P in Southern Oklahoma. In both roles, Ty led all finance, accounting, business development, and strategic planning functions, while also building out minerals and non-operated investment platforms.
Ty holds a BBA with High Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife and their three kids.
Nathan brings a strong technical foundation in data engineering, machine learning, and geospatial analysis to Cardinal Cove. He began his career as a GIS Analyst at Stronghold Investment Managers in Dallas, supporting the Land, Investment, and Geology teams across multiple basins and consulting on the geospatial planning of new well development.
He subsequently joined Halff Associates as a Machine Learning Scientist, developing ML models and lidar-imagery fusion techniques that significantly reduced property survey costs. Most recently, Nathan worked with Scout Energy Partners in Dallas as a Data Engineer, building data pipelines and dashboards to support production analytics.
Nathan holds a B.S. in Geographic Information Science from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the Neeley School of Business at TCU, with a concentration in Finance and certificates in Analytics and Energy. He lives in the Fort Worth area.
Peyton joined Cardinal Cove in 2026 as a Landman, focused on sourcing and evaluating mineral and royalty acquisition opportunities. He works directly with mineral owners to negotiate purchase agreements and lease acquisitions, supports deal structuring and acquisition strategy, and maintains the relationships, ownership records, and deal tracking systems that keep Cardinal Cove's pipeline running.
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Peyton earned a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Information Sciences from the University of Alabama in 2020. He served as an intern with Reformed University Fellowship at Texas Christian University from 2020 to 2022, where he developed a strong foundation in communication and relationship-building, before gaining additional professional experience and entering the oil and gas industry in 2025.
Outside of work, Peyton enjoys golf, hunting, and staying active through recreational sports.
Victor is a finance and energy professional who joined Cardinal Cove as an Acquisition Landman, where he applies his financial acumen and industry knowledge to land acquisition and energy development transactions.
Prior to graduate school, Victor spent four years in asset management, where he played a key role in new client acquisition and drove growth through sales strategy and business development. His international reach extended beyond client-facing work, as he also took on responsibilities in sales training and mentoring, helping develop talent across a global platform.
Driven by a passion for energy markets and financial strategy, Victor is pursuing his MBA at Texas Christian University with a concentration in Energy and Finance. At TCU, he holds an executive leadership position within the TCU Energy Club, one of the premier student-led energy organizations in the region.
Cardinal Cove offers accredited investors the opportunity to participate alongside an experienced, proven team in a disciplined oil and gas acquisition strategy across the United States.
Cardinal Cove offers accredited investors the opportunity to participate alongside us in acquiring minerals, royalties, and working interests across the country. We source the deals, conduct the diligence, manage the assets, and provide transparent reporting — so investors can access high-quality oil and gas opportunities through a team with real operating and financial experience.
Investors participate through a fund, benefiting from diversification across multiple asset types and geographies, while relying on the team's hands-on expertise to evaluate and manage every position.
We are always open to conversations with qualified investors. Whether you are evaluating the space or ready to move forward, we welcome the opportunity to connect.
Investors participate through a fund, giving access to a diversified portfolio of oil and gas assets managed by an experienced team.
Quarterly financial and production reporting so partners are always informed on performance, activity, and capital deployment.
Active across all major U.S. basins — Permian, Appalachia, Mid-Continent, Eagle Ford, Williston, DJ Basin, Haynesville and more.
Bryant and Ty have spent their careers building, operating, and financing oil and gas businesses at the highest levels. That experience informs every investment decision Cardinal Cove makes.
Bryant's 14+ years of geoscience and subsurface evaluation means every asset we acquire has been rigorously screened at the rock level — not just on a spreadsheet. We understand what we're buying.
Ty's background in energy investment banking and as CFO of multiple PE-backed E&P companies means every decision we make is grounded in both operational reality and financial discipline.
The Cardinal Cove management team co-invests alongside our investors. Alignment of interests isn't just good practice – it's the only way to run a business our families participate in too.
We're happy to discuss our strategy, target return profile, and where we see the best opportunities in the current market. Reach out and we'll schedule a call.
Whether you've inherited mineral rights, own producing royalties, or hold working interests you're ready to monetize — Cardinal Cove offers a straightforward path to liquidity with no surprises.
Selling minerals or royalties shouldn't require a law degree. We've designed our entire process around making it as straightforward and transparent as possible.
We move quickly from offer to close — typically 30 days or less. No drawn-out negotiations, no last-minute retrading. When we make an offer, we stand behind it.
We evaluate every asset thoroughly and pay market-competitive prices. Our goal is a deal that's fair to both sides.
No call centers, no automated systems. Every transaction is handled with care and personal attention — you'll always know exactly who you're dealing with.
We handle the paperwork, title review, and deed preparation. Every step explained in plain language — no surprises at closing.
Minerals, royalties, ORRIs, operated WI, non-operated WI — we buy it all. Large packages or single tracts. Producing, non-producing, or undeveloped.
Permian, Appalachia, South Texas, Williston, Oklahoma and beyond. Wherever your assets are, we have the basin knowledge to close with confidence.
Share basic info about your asset — county and state, asset type, revenue statements, lease documents, and any other paperwork you have on hand.
We review production history, title, operator activity, and comparable transactions — typically coming back to you within a few business days.
A clear, written offer with no hidden terms. No obligation, no pressure. Take the time you need.
We handle all closing documents and fund at closing. Clean, fast, and done — typically within 30 days of an accepted offer.
We've answered the questions we hear most often. Don't see yours? Reach out directly — we're happy to talk through anything.
We buy mineral rights, royalty interests, overriding royalties (ORRIs), non-participating royalty interests (NPRIs), operated working interests, and non-operated working interests — producing, non-producing, and undeveloped acreage across all major U.S. basins.
We evaluate current and historical production, operator activity and upcoming permits, commodity price outlook, acreage quality, the lease terms in place, and comparable transactions in the area. We use standard industry valuation methods and are always happy to walk you through how we arrived at our offer.
We typically provide a preliminary offer within 3–5 business days of receiving your information. Once an offer is accepted, we aim to close within 30 days. We'll always set clear expectations upfront and keep you informed throughout.
You are not required to hire representation, but you are always welcome to. We actively encourage sellers to have an attorney review the purchase agreement if it gives them peace of mind. We will never pressure you to close without fully understanding what you're signing.
Absolutely — partial interest sales are very common and we're comfortable with them. Whether you want to sell a fraction of your royalty to generate near-term liquidity while retaining long-term upside, or carve out a specific tract, we can structure a transaction that fits your goals.
Selling minerals or royalties can have meaningful tax implications. We strongly encourage consulting a CPA familiar with oil and gas transactions before closing. We're happy to help connect you with professionals who specialize in this area.
This is very common. Many of the people we work with have inherited interests with limited documentation. That's okay — we work through title and ownership questions regularly and can help guide you through what you'll need.
The more you can share, the better — but you don't need everything upfront. Helpful documents include: the county and state where the minerals are located, the legal description if you have it, royalty or revenue statements, division orders, lease documents, and the operator name(s). Inherited with limited paperwork? That's completely fine — we work through title and documentation questions regularly and will guide you through what's needed.
Whether you own minerals, royalties, or working interests — or you're an investor interested in learning more — we'd love to hear from you. No pressure, just a real conversation.
When you reach out to Cardinal Cove, someone from our team will follow up promptly. Fill out the form or use the contact details below.
We welcome conversations with accredited investors interested in learning more about our fund strategy, our team, and how to participate alongside us in oil and gas acquisitions across the United States.
We are currently organizing our fund and selectively speaking with qualified investors. Share a bit about yourself and your interest and someone from our team will be in touch.
