Sell Your Mineral Rights in Texas

Name: Mineral Buys
Telephone: (432) 302-7735
Price range: $$

If you own mineral rights in Texas and are considering selling, we can provide a fast, fair offer backed by deep local expertise in the Texas oil and gas market.

Get Your Free Valuation Call (432) 302-7735

If You Own Mineral Rights in Texas, Here's What You Should Know

Texas sits on top of some of the most actively drilled land in the world right now — the Permian Basin alone produces more oil than most countries. Whether you inherited a small interest decades ago or have been cashing royalty checks for years, your minerals may be worth more than you think, and the market to buy them is active. This page will give you a straight look at what's happening in Texas, what your rights are worth, and what your options actually are — no pressure, no runaround.

Texas Mineral Rights by the Numbers

state — produces roughly 42% of all U.S. crude oil

U.S. Oil Production Rank

~280–310

rigs operating in Texas at any given time (Baker Hughes, 2024 est.)

Active Drilling Rigs

6+ million

barrels of oil per day — more than Iraq or Canada

Permian Basin Output

18% – 25%

of gross production, depending on lease vintage and negotiation

Typical Royalty Rate

Permian, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Anadarko (Granite Wash)

Major Producing Basins

180,000+

active wells across the state (Texas RRC, 2024 est.)

Producing Oil & Gas Wells

Who's Active in Texas

ExxonMobil

XOM

Pioneer Natural Resources (now part of ExxonMobil)

PXD

ConocoPhillips

COP

Diamondback Energy

FANG

Occidental Petroleum

OXY

Devon Energy

DVN

EOG Resources

EOG

Coterra Energy

CTRA

Key Basins & Formations in Texas

Spraberry / Wolfcamp

Permian Basin (Midland Basin)

This is the engine of U.S. oil production. The Wolfcamp shale sits at roughly 7,000–11,000 feet in West Texas and holds an estimated 20 billion barrels of recoverable oil — the largest assessed continuous oil accumulation in U.S. history according to the USGS. If you own minerals in Midland, Martin, Andrews, or surrounding counties, you're sitting on some of the most valuable ground in the country right now.

Bone Spring / Delaware Basin

Permian Basin (Delaware Basin)

The western half of the Permian, covering Reeves, Loving, Ward, and Winkler counties among others. The Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations here are stacked — meaning operators can drill multiple productive zones from a single pad. Activity has surged here over the last five years. If you own minerals in far West Texas near the New Mexico line, this is likely where your value lies.

Eagle Ford Shale

Eagle Ford Trend (South Texas)

A crescent-shaped formation running from the Mexican border northeast through Karnes, DeWitt, and LaSalle counties. Depths range from 4,000 to 14,000 feet depending on where you are in the play. The deeper, drier gas window is in the northeast; the oil window in the middle counties like Karnes and DeWitt has been particularly productive. Activity has moderated from its peak but remains steady, and mineral values here can still be strong in the core.

Haynesville Shale

East Texas Basin

A deep natural gas formation running into East Texas (Panola, Shelby, Harrison counties) and across into Louisiana. At roughly 10,000–13,000 feet, it's one of the deepest major shale plays drilled in the U.S. Activity picked up significantly with the LNG export boom — operators are drilling again because gas prices tied to global demand have improved the economics. If you own minerals in East Texas near the Louisiana border, don't overlook this one.

Granite Wash

Anadarko Basin (Texas Panhandle)

A mix of tight sandstone formations in the Texas Panhandle — Wheeler, Hemphill, and Lipscomb counties. It produces both oil and wet gas (which includes valuable natural gas liquids). Not as high-profile as the Permian, but it has a long production history and still attracts operator interest. Values are more modest here than the Permian, but if you have minerals in the Panhandle, they're worth checking.

How a Sale Actually Works

Outright Sale — You Sell Everything

You sell your full mineral interest — the right to sign leases, receive royalties, and everything else that comes with owning minerals. You get a lump sum at closing, and after that, the buyer owns it. This is clean and final. It makes sense if you want certainty, if the minerals are hard to manage, or if you want to turn a future stream of maybe-money into real money today. You'll owe capital gains tax on the profit, but you're done. No more statements to decode, no more wondering if the check is right.

Royalty Interest Sale — Sell the Income, Keep the Land Rights

If you're under an active lease and want to sell just the royalty stream — the checks coming in — without giving up your underlying mineral ownership, that's a royalty interest sale. Buyers will pay for a defined number of years of royalty payments or a permanent carved-out royalty. This is less common but can work if you want cash now but also want to keep the option to negotiate future leases yourself. It's more complicated legally, so make sure you have a title attorney review the deed before signing anything.

Partial Interest Sale — Sell a Piece, Keep a Piece

You don't have to sell everything. If you own, say, 20 net mineral acres and want to keep some, you can sell half and pocket cash while still participating in future development. This is popular with people who want liquidity now but aren't ready to fully let go — or who want to make sure heirs get something without giving up all of it. The math gets a little more involved, but it's a completely legitimate and common way to structure a deal.

Texas Rules You Should Know

Texas Severance Tax

Texas charges a severance tax on production at the wellhead — 4.6% on oil and 7.5% on natural gas as of 2024. This is paid by the operator and deducted before your royalty is calculated, so it's already coming out of your checks. It's not something you pay separately. When you sell your minerals, you're not paying severance tax — that's an income tax matter separate from the production tax.

No Forced Pooling in Texas

This is a big one. Texas does NOT have a forced pooling statute the way Oklahoma or New Mexico does. That means an operator cannot force you to pool your interest with neighboring tracts against your will. If you don't sign a lease, they generally can't drill under your land — with one important exception: if your land is within a Railroad Commission-approved unit, there are some spacing rules that apply. But broadly speaking, Texas mineral owners have more control than owners in many other states. You have real leverage when negotiating a lease.

How Title Transfer Works

Mineral rights in Texas transfer by deed — specifically a mineral deed or a warranty deed with mineral rights included. The deed must be signed, notarized, and recorded in the county deed records where the minerals are located. Until it's recorded, the transfer isn't official in the public record. If you're selling, make sure a title company or real estate attorney handles the closing, the deed is properly drafted, and it gets filed. Don't let anyone hand you a check without recording the deed first — the recording is what makes the transfer real.

Heirship and Probate

A lot of Texas mineral rights were inherited informally — passed down without formal probate, sometimes across two or three generations. If your interest came through an estate that was never probated, the title may be 'clouded,' which can complicate a sale. Texas does have a process called a Muniment of Title that can clear simple estates without full probate. A buyer who knows what they're doing can often work through title issues, but you need to be upfront about how you got the minerals. It slows things down but rarely kills a deal.

The Texas Railroad Commission

Despite the name, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) has nothing to do with trains anymore. It regulates oil and gas production in Texas — well spacing, permits, production reporting, and environmental oversight. If you want to look up wells on your property, the RRC's online GeoViewer and Well Search tools are public and free. You can search by county or API number and see exactly what's been drilled near your land.

Your Existing Lease Stays in Place After You Sell

If your minerals are currently under a lease, that lease doesn't disappear when you sell. The buyer steps into your shoes — they receive the royalty payments and are bound by the same lease terms you agreed to. The operator doesn't need to re-negotiate. This is standard and doesn't hurt your sale; buyers factor the lease terms into their offer. Just make sure you have a copy of the lease to share during due diligence.

Questions We Hear All the Time

How do I know if the offer I got is fair?

Honestly? Most unsolicited offers that show up in your mailbox are below market. Buyers who reach out cold are hoping you'll say yes before you know what you have. The way to know if an offer is fair is to get a second opinion — either from another buyer, a mineral rights broker, or someone who knows the market in your county. Offers are typically expressed as a multiple of monthly royalty income or as a price per net mineral acre. In active Permian counties, prices can be $10,000 to $30,000 per net mineral acre or more. In less active areas, it might be $500 to $2,000. Context matters, and you deserve to know before you sign.

What happens to my existing lease if I sell?

It stays exactly as it is. The lease you signed with the operator is tied to the land, not to you personally. When you sell, the buyer takes over your position in that lease — they receive your royalty payments going forward and are bound by the same terms. The operator typically gets notified through the deed being recorded and will update their payment records. You don't need to contact the operator to make this happen.

Do I owe taxes if I sell my minerals?

Yes, most likely — but probably not as much as you fear. The sale of mineral rights is treated as a capital asset sale by the IRS. If you've owned (or inherited) the minerals for more than a year, any gain is taxed at long-term capital gains rates, which max out at 20% federally for most people. Your 'basis' — what you're allowed to subtract — is what you paid for them, or if you inherited them, the fair market value at the time you inherited them (called a stepped-up basis). Many inherited mineral owners find their taxable gain is smaller than expected because of that step-up. Talk to a CPA before you close — this isn't complicated, but you want to do it right.

I only own a small fractional interest. Is it even worth anything?

Yes, often. Fractional mineral interests are bought and sold all the time. If you own 1/32nd of the minerals under 100 acres in an active Permian county, that's still real money. What matters is location, what's been drilled, and what might be drilled. Small interests can be harder to value and may get slightly lower offers per unit because they're more work for a buyer, but don't assume something small is worthless before you check.

Can the oil company drill without my permission?

In Texas, generally no — they need a lease signed by you (or your predecessor) to drill under your land. Unlike some states, Texas doesn't have forced pooling, so you have real leverage. That said, if your minerals are within an established RRC-approved spacing unit or if a prior owner signed a lease you inherited, drilling may already be authorized. If you're getting a lease offer and haven't signed anything, that's actually a good position to be in — you can negotiate, or sell the minerals outright to someone who wants to deal with the lease themselves.

I inherited these minerals but never got anything from them. What's going on?

A few things could be happening. The minerals may not be under an active lease — meaning no one is drilling or paying rent right now, which is common for minerals that aren't in a hot area. Or there is production, but the operator's records still show the prior owner and your checks are going to the wrong address or sitting in suspense at the Texas Comptroller's office. Texas holds unclaimed royalty payments, and you can search for your name at ClaimItTexas.gov. It's also worth pulling the deed records and running a title search to confirm you actually own what you think you own — especially with inherited interests.

What's the difference between mineral rights and surface rights?

In Texas, you can own the land on top (surface rights) and someone else can own what's underground (mineral rights) — or vice versa. This split is extremely common because oil companies bought mineral rights from Texas landowners going back over 100 years. If you own the surface but not the minerals, you generally can't stop an operator from accessing your land to drill — Texas law heavily favors the mineral estate. If you own the minerals but not the surface, you own the right to produce oil and gas but don't have a say in how the land above looks. Most people who contact us are mineral owners, not surface owners, so when you call, just let us know what you have and we'll sort it out.

Why Do People Actually Sell?

We'll be straight with you — people sell for all kinds of reasons, and none of them are wrong. Some folks are tired of getting a $47 check every month and wondering if they'll ever see real money from these things. Some have an estate to settle and need to divide assets fairly among family members without a fight. Some are worried about what oil prices do next year, or the year after, and would rather have certainty. Some just need cash — a medical bill, a home repair, a grandkid's college fund — and the minerals are the best asset to tap. And some people have simply held on for thirty years hoping things would get better in their county, and they're done waiting. A sale isn't giving up. It's making a decision with your eyes open, based on what matters to you right now. That's all it is.

Want to Know What Your Texas Minerals Are Actually Worth?

Reach out and a real person will get back to you — usually within one business day. We'll ask a few questions about your property, pull what we can from public records, and give you a honest assessment of what we think your minerals are worth in today's market. There's no cost, no obligation, and no pressure. If you decide not to sell, that's fine. At least you'll know what you have.

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EXPLORE BY COUNTY

Counties We Serve in Texas

Select a county to see local mineral rights information, valuations, and recent activity.

Andrews County

County

Angelina County

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Atascosa County

County

Bee County

County

Borden County

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Carson County

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Crane County

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Dawson County

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Denton County

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Sell Your Mineral Rights in Texas

If You Own Mineral Rights in Texas, Here's What You Should Know

Texas Mineral Rights by the Numbers

Who's Active in Texas

Key Basins & Formations in Texas

Spraberry / Wolfcamp

Bone Spring / Delaware Basin

Eagle Ford Shale

Haynesville Shale

Granite Wash

How a Sale Actually Works

Outright Sale — You Sell Everything

Royalty Interest Sale — Sell the Income, Keep the Land Rights

Partial Interest Sale — Sell a Piece, Keep a Piece

Texas Rules You Should Know

Texas Severance Tax

No Forced Pooling in Texas

How Title Transfer Works

Heirship and Probate

The Texas Railroad Commission

Your Existing Lease Stays in Place After You Sell

Questions We Hear All the Time

Why Do People Actually Sell?

Want to Know What Your Texas Minerals Are Actually Worth?

Counties We Serve in Texas

Get Your Free Texas Mineral Rights Valuation