Kunkel v. Meridian Oil, Inc.

— Petitioners seek reinstatement of a declaratory judgment of the Grant County Superior Court holding that a deed reservation of "all minerals of any nature whatsoever upon or in [the] land, including coal and iron" did not include oil and natural gas because oil and natural gas are not unambiguously "minerals" under Washington law. The Court of Appeals, Division Three, reversed the trial court and concluded that the deed reservation clause unambiguously includes oil and natural gas and awarded to respondents the rights to "any material which could be extracted for profit."

We reverse the…