Texas is the largest oil-producing state in the country, and it handles mineral rights differently from most other states. If you own minerals in Texas, the land descriptions, regulatory framework, and record systems will look unfamiliar if you're used to Oklahoma, North Dakota, or other PLSS states.

No Section-Township-Range (Mostly)

Most oil-producing states use the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) to describe land by section, township, and range. Texas does not. Because Texas was an independent republic before joining the United States, it was never surveyed under the federal PLSS. The panhandle uses a block-and-section system based on railroad land grants that looks similar to PLSS but is part of Texas's own land survey system.

Instead, Texas uses a system based on original land grants and surveys. Each tract of land is identified by:

A typical Texas legal description might read: "Abstract 1234, H&TC Railway Company Survey, Block 42, Section 7, Reeves County, Texas." Some areas use section numbers within a block, but it's not part of a statewide grid like PLSS.

This makes land research in Texas different. You search by abstract number and survey name rather than section-township-range.

The Texas Railroad Commission

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) regulates oil and gas in the state, despite the name. Their free online tools include:

All of these are free and publicly accessible.

County Records

Texas has 254 counties. TexasFile covers all of them with free index searches and $1/page document downloads. CourthouseDirect covers about 96 counties with historical title plants and scanned documents.

Many county clerk offices also have their own online search portals, though coverage and usability vary.

Very Limited Forced Pooling

Texas has extremely limited forced pooling compared to states like Oklahoma. The Mineral Interest Pooling Act (MIPA) technically applies to both oil and gas, but it is deliberately restrictive and rarely successful. Unlike Oklahoma, Texas operators generally cannot force unwilling mineral owners into a unit without meeting strict requirements.

This gives Texas mineral owners more leverage in lease negotiations but also means you could end up with a well draining your minerals without you participating or being compensated (the Rule of Capture allows the operator to produce oil that migrates from under your land to theirs).

Community Property State

Texas is a community property state. Minerals acquired during marriage are generally community property owned equally by both spouses. This affects inheritance, divorce, and lease negotiations. If you inherited minerals in Texas, understand whether they were community property or separate property, because it determines who has authority to lease or sell.

Severance Tax

Texas charges a severance tax on oil (4.6% of market value) and natural gas (7.5% of market value). This is withheld by the operator and appears on your check stub. There's a reduced rate for certain low-producing wells (under 15 barrels per day) and high-cost gas wells.

Key Takeaways for Texas Mineral Owners

MinRight tracks your Texas properties using whatever legal description format they use. Enter the abstract, survey, and block information in the property record alongside your leases, wells, and payments. For research resources, see our post on finding mineral rights online.

Also see our guides for Oklahoma, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Kansas.