Texas Porch

Mineral Rights

Kaufman County has oil and gas production — understand mineral rights before you buy

Oil, gas, limestone, sand, and gravel are all listed as natural resources in Kaufman County — if you buy land, check whether mineral rights come with the surface.

Texas allows surface rights and mineral rights to be owned separately. In Kaufman County, limestone, sand, gravel, oil, and gas are listed among the county's natural resources. If the mineral rights have already been severed from the surface, a previous owner may still have the right to access the land for drilling or extraction — even after you buy the property.

Before buying rural land, ask your title company to check whether the minerals have been severed and whether there are any active leases. The Texas Railroad Commission maintains public records on oil and gas wells and permits. You can search by county through the RRC's online research queries at rrc.texas.gov.

Source to confirm: Texas Almanac — Kaufman County

More Kaufman County notes