Sell Your Mineral Rights in Howard County County, TX

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

If you own mineral rights in Howard County, you're sitting on acreage that operators have been actively targeting for years — this is legitimate Permian Basin oil country, with multiple stacked pay zones and real drilling activity happening right now. Values here can range from $2,000 to $8,000 per acre or more depending on where your acres sit and what's already been drilled around you. Before you respond to an offer or sign anything, it's worth understanding exactly what you have.

Get Your Free Valuation Call (432) 302-7735

ASSET OVERVIEW

Est. per Acre

$2,000–$8,000

per net royalty acre

Active Wells

1,200+

Drilling Activity

Core Basin

Permian Basin (Midland Basin)

Primary Formation

Primary Resource

Oil

Commodity Type

Here's What You Should Know About Howard County Right Now

Howard County sits in the eastern Midland Basin and has been one of the more consistently active counties in the broader Permian play. Operators here are developing multi-zone stacked formations — primarily the Spraberry and Wolfcamp — and horizontal drilling has expanded significantly over the last decade. If you've recently received an offer from an operator or a landman, that's not random: they're targeting your acreage because they either have a well planned nearby or want to lock in your rights before values rise further. Don't assume the first number you're offered is the right one — in Howard County, it often isn't.

Howard County by the Numbers

1,200+

wells (horizontal and vertical combined)

Estimated Active Wells

$2,000 – $8,000+

per net mineral acre (location-dependent estimate)

Estimated Value Range Per Acre

6,500 – 10,000

feet (Spraberry/Wolfcamp)

Primary Target Formation Depth

Oil

with associated natural gas

Primary Commodity

Permian Basin

Midland Basin sub-basin

Basin

Who's Operating in Howard County

Pioneer Natural Resources

PXD

Diamondback Energy

FANG

Endeavor Energy Resources

Private

ProPetro Holding

PUMP

Double Eagle Energy

Private

Grenadier Energy Partners

Private

What's in the Ground

Spraberry

Permian Basin – Midland Basin

The Spraberry is one of the primary horizontal targets in Howard County. It sits roughly 6,500 to 8,000 feet deep and has been drilled extensively across the Midland Basin. It's a tight sandstone formation that responds well to hydraulic fracturing. If an operator is talking to you about your land, there's a good chance the Spraberry is at least part of the conversation.

Wolfcamp

Permian Basin – Midland Basin

The Wolfcamp shale sits below the Spraberry and is one of the most productive formations in the entire Permian. Multiple benches — A, B, C, and D — can be drilled independently, which means a single parcel of land can support several horizontal wellbores. This stacked potential is a big reason per-acre values in Howard County are meaningful.

Dean

Permian Basin – Midland Basin

The Dean Sand lies between the Spraberry and Wolfcamp intervals and is an additional target that some operators are beginning to exploit more aggressively. It's not the primary zone but adds optionality to the acreage, which can support higher valuations in certain parts of the county.

How a Mineral Rights Sale Actually Works

You Get an Offer — or You Request One

Sometimes operators or mineral buyers reach out to you directly. Other times you initiate the process. Either way, the first step is getting a realistic sense of what your interest is worth before you engage. That means understanding how many net mineral acres you own, what's been drilled nearby, and what royalty rate your lease carries.

Due Diligence and Title Review

Any serious buyer will run a title search through the Howard County Clerk's office in Big Spring. They're looking at deed chains, prior conveyances, any existing leases, and whether there are NPRIs (non-participating royalty interests) or other burdens on the interest. This typically takes a few weeks and is done at the buyer's expense.

Purchase Agreement

Once both sides agree on price, you sign a mineral deed and a purchase and sale agreement. In Texas, mineral deeds are recorded with the county clerk. The transaction is typically funded within a few days of closing. You'll want an attorney to review the deed language — particularly the warranty clauses — before you sign.

Lump Sum vs. Retained Royalty

Most straightforward sales are a lump sum for all your mineral rights. But some sellers negotiate to retain an overriding royalty interest (ORRI) as part of the deal — taking a lower upfront price in exchange for continued production income if wells get drilled. This structure makes sense for some people and not others. It depends on your risk tolerance and financial situation.

Tax Considerations

Proceeds from a mineral rights sale are generally treated as a capital gain in Texas. Texas has no state income tax, but federal capital gains taxes apply. If you inherited the minerals, your cost basis is typically the fair market value at the date you inherited them, which can significantly reduce your taxable gain. Talk to a CPA before closing.

What to Know About Howard County and Texas Mineral Law

Recording Deeds Through the Howard County Clerk

All mineral conveyances in Texas are recorded at the county level. In Howard County, that's the County Clerk's office in Big Spring. When you sell or lease your minerals, the deed or lease must be recorded there to be legally effective against third parties. If you've inherited minerals and haven't recorded an affidavit of heirship or a probated will, this is worth addressing before any transaction — it can complicate title and delay your closing.

Texas Does Not Have Forced Pooling

This is an important one. Unlike states like Oklahoma or North Dakota, Texas generally does not allow operators to force non-consenting mineral owners into a pooling unit. In Texas, if an operator wants to lease your minerals, they need to negotiate with you. This gives mineral owners more leverage here than in many other states. However, if your interest is already under an existing lease, pooling provisions within that lease may still apply.

Severance Tax on Production

Texas collects a production severance tax on oil (4.6%) and gas (7.5%) extracted from the ground. If you're receiving royalty income, these taxes are typically deducted from your royalty check by the operator before you receive it. If you're selling, this doesn't affect the sale price — but it's worth understanding if you've been receiving royalties and want to evaluate your current income stream.

NPRIs and Existing Encumbrances

Non-participating royalty interests (NPRIs) can be a title headache in older Texas mineral chains. These are royalty interests carved out of mineral ownership in past decades that entitle someone else to a fraction of production without any obligation to pay lease bonuses or participate in drilling. If your title shows an NPRI, it reduces the effective royalty income and can affect valuation. A title search will surface these.

Heirship and Probate Issues Are Common

In Howard County — like many West Texas counties — mineral rights are frequently passed down informally across generations. If your minerals were inherited without a formal probate, you may technically own them but have a title that's difficult to insure or convey cleanly. An affidavit of heirship recorded with the county clerk can often resolve this, but it's worth getting a real estate attorney involved early in the process.

Why Some Howard County Owners Are Selling Right Now

There's no single reason people sell mineral rights, and we're not going to pretend there is. Some owners are simplifying an estate — dividing minerals among heirs is complicated, and a lump sum is often cleaner for everyone. Others inherited rights in a county they've never visited and have no particular interest in managing a royalty check that varies month to month. Some people have been holding for years, watching wells get drilled nearby, and have decided the certainty of cash today is worth more to them than waiting on production that may or may not come. And some owners just got an unsolicited offer, got curious, and want to know if it's fair before they respond. All of those are legitimate reasons to explore a sale. The Permian Basin has had sustained operator interest and oil prices have been supportive — this is a reasonable time to be evaluating your options, not because of panic or pressure, but because the market for Permian mineral rights is real and active right now.

Questions We Hear From Howard County Owners

I got a letter from a landman offering to buy my minerals. Should I just take it?

Probably not without doing some homework first. Landmen and mineral buyers are in the business of acquiring rights at a price that works for them — that's not a criticism, it's just how the market works. The offer you received may be fair, or it may be low. Before you respond, it's worth finding out what's been drilled near your acreage, what the current lease terms are if your minerals are already leased, and whether there are other buyers who might pay more. Getting a second opinion costs you nothing and can tell you a lot.

My grandparents owned land out near Big Spring and I think I may have inherited mineral rights. How do I find out?

Start with the Howard County Clerk's office records in Big Spring — deeds and mineral conveyances are public record. You're looking for any deed that either specifically conveys or specifically reserves mineral rights. If minerals were never severed from the surface, whoever owned the surface may have owned the minerals too. If there was a probate, look at what the estate included. If there wasn't a formal probate and you're a direct heir, you may still own the minerals — but the title may need to be cleaned up with an affidavit of heirship before you can do anything with them.

What's a realistic value for minerals in Howard County right now?

It varies quite a bit depending on location, existing leases, royalty rates, and how close you are to active drilling. Broadly, producing acreage or acreage with recent drilling activity might range from $4,000 to $8,000 per net mineral acre or higher. Acreage that's more speculative — no nearby wells, no existing lease — might be in the $2,000 to $4,000 range. These are estimates, not guarantees. The only way to get a real number is to have someone actually look at your specific acreage, the leases attached to it, and the production history around it.

I'm already receiving royalty checks from an operator. Why would I sell?

That's a fair question, and honestly, if your royalties are consistent and meaningful to you, selling isn't the only option. But royalty income depends on oil prices, operator activity, and well decline rates — all of which are unpredictable. Some owners prefer the certainty of a lump sum today over the variability of production income over time. Others want to avoid the complexity of passing minerals through their estate. And sometimes a lump sum payment, properly invested, can generate more income over time than the royalty stream would. It depends entirely on your situation.

How long does a mineral rights sale take in Texas?

From the time you agree on price to the time you have money in your account, most transactions take somewhere between two and six weeks. The majority of that time is the buyer conducting title research through the Howard County Clerk's records. Once title is confirmed and both parties sign the purchase agreement and mineral deed, funding usually happens within a few business days. If there are title complications — like missing probate documents or an unrecorded deed somewhere in the chain — it can take longer to resolve.

Want to Know What Your Howard County Minerals Are Actually Worth?

Fill out the form and a real person — not a bot, not a form letter — will reach out to you within one business day. We'll tell you what we know about your acreage, what the current market looks like, and what a fair value range might be. No pressure, no obligation. Just a straight answer so you can make an informed decision.

Get My Free Valuation

GET STARTED

Get a Free Offer for Your Howard County County Mineral Rights

No obligation. No commissions. We respond within one business day.