Texas Porch

Oil & gas / Mineral rights

Oil and Gas Activity in Borden County Means Mineral Rights Matter

Borden County has produced oil since 1949 and falls within Railroad Commission District 8A, so buyers of rural land should check whether mineral rights are included in a sale or have already been severed.

Borden County Home & Property

Oil was discovered in Borden County in 1949. Production grew fast. The county has been part of the Permian Basin oil-producing region ever since. The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) regulates oil and gas statewide. Borden County falls in RRC District 8A, which is run out of Lubbock.

In Texas, mineral rights — ownership of the oil, gas, and other minerals underground — can be split from the surface land. A past owner may have already sold or kept the minerals. If so, you could buy the land but not own what is beneath it. Start your research at the Borden County Clerk's office, located at 117 E. Wasson, Gail. Deed records there show what was and was not included in past sales. Lease records and production data are also available through the Railroad Commission's online tools.

On the RRC website, you can search well records, production history, and permits by county. The Land and Mineral Owners section of rrc.texas.gov explains what landowners and royalty owners can expect from operators.

Source to confirm: Railroad Commission of Texas — Oil and Gas Division

More Borden County notes

Property tax

Homestead Exemption Lowers Your Property Tax Bill in Borden County

Homeowners who live in their Borden County property as their primary residence can file a one-time homestead exemption application to reduce their taxable value and cap future appraisal increases.

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Agricultural valuation

Agricultural Valuation Can Sharply Cut Land Taxes on Borden County Ranches

Borden County landowners who ranch, farm, or manage wildlife can apply to pay taxes on what the land produces rather than what it would sell for.

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Water / Groundwater

Borden County Has No Groundwater Conservation District — Well Rules Are Minimal

Borden County does not have a local groundwater conservation district, which means there are no local permits required to drill a water well, but the county sits in a drought-prone area where groundwater levels in the Ogallala Aquifer have been declining for decades.

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Weather / Wildfire / Drought

Drought and Wildfire Are Routine Hazards in Borden County

Borden County averages under 20 inches of rain per year and is regularly affected by drought, which raises wildfire risk across the county's grass and mesquite rangeland.

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