Skip to main content
High Risk AreaPermian Basin

Midland County, Texas Mineral Rights Guide

Spraberry / Wolfcamp A & B · Texas Railroad Commission (RRC)

42,000+
Est. Mineral Owners
20–25% gross
Avg Royalty Range
Pioneer Natural Resources
Top Operator

Overview: Midland County Mineral Ownership

Midland County is the epicenter of the Permian Basin's Midland sub-basin, one of the most actively drilled regions on Earth. The Spraberry and Wolfcamp formations drive extraordinary production volumes, with Pioneer Natural Resources, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips among the dominant operators. Texas operates under the 'At the Well' royalty framework, meaning operators can deduct post-production costs including gathering, compression, and transportation from royalty calculations unless your lease explicitly prohibits them.

Critical Issues for Midland County Owners

  • At the Well jurisdiction — all post-production costs deductible (Heritage Resources)
  • No statewide forced pooling — voluntary pooling common
  • Texas Abstract/Survey system — not PLSS
  • Aggressive horizontal drilling extending across multiple abstract tracts

Regulatory Context

Post-Production Framework
At the Well (Heritage Resources v. NationsBank, 1997)
Regulatory Body
Texas Railroad Commission (RRC)
Primary Formation
Spraberry / Wolfcamp A & B
Basin
Permian Basin

Key Legal Authority: Heritage Resources v. NationsBank (1997); TX Nat. Resources Code §91.402

Visit Texas Railroad Commission (RRC)

Active Operators in Midland County

Pioneer Natural Resources
Chevron
ConocoPhillips
Apache

See Current Drilling Activity in Midland County

Enter your legal description to get a free well permit and operator activity report powered by the BLM Pathfinder API.

Free Activity Report