Mineral Rights
Mineral Rights and Surface Rights Are Often Owned Separately
In Jefferson County, the oil and gas beneath your land may belong to someone else entirely — buying land here does not automatically mean you own the minerals under it.
Texas law recognizes two separate estates in land: the surface estate and the mineral estate. In Jefferson County — one of the oldest oil-producing counties in the state — the minerals under many properties were severed and sold off long ago. That means another person or company may hold rights to drill on your property even if you own the surface.
Before buying land, ask a title company or attorney to run a mineral title search. The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) tracks active oil and gas wells and leases. You can search well records and production data by county at rrc.texas.gov. The RRC regulates drilling and production but does not handle royalty disputes — those are civil matters.
Source to confirm: Railroad Commission of Texas — Oil and Gas Surface Ownership FAQ