Sec. 3. (a) As used in this chapter, "unknown or missing owner" means a person:
(1) vested of record or by operation of IC 32-23-10 with a property interest in:
(A) a mineral estate in land; or
(B) a portion of a mineral estate in land; and
(2) whose identity or location cannot be determined:
(A) from the records in the chain of title in the county in which the land is located;
(B) by diligent inquiry in the vicinity of the record owner's last known place of residence or location; and
(C) from a search of tax records in the county in which the property is located.
(b) The term includes the person's heirs and devisees and successors and assigns.