Mineral rights and surface rights are often owned by different people in Hale County

In Texas, mineral rights and surface rights can be owned by two different people. When land is sold, the seller can keep the mineral rights below ground. Hale County had nearly 9.2 million barrels of annual oil production by 1978. After decades of oil and gas activity, many parcels here have minerals owned by someone other than the surface owner.

Texas law says the mineral estate is dominant. That means a mineral owner or oil company can enter your land to drill, build roads, and run pipelines. They can do this without asking you, as long as they act reasonably. This can happen even if you did not know about it when you bought the land.

Before buying rural land in Hale County, ask a title company to check the deed. Make sure you know whether minerals are included in the sale. The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates oil and gas operations in the state. It keeps public records you can view through its GIS map tool.