Oil & Gas / Mineral rights
Oil, gas, and mineral rights in Brazos County
Brazos County has active oil and gas production regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission, and mineral rights are commonly severed from surface ownership, so buyers should check deed records carefully.
Oil was discovered in Brazos County in 1942 and became economically significant by the 1970s. The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) regulates all oil and gas exploration, production, and transportation in the county. Well records from 1964 forward are searchable online through the RRC's Oil and Gas Imaged Records Query and the Public GIS Viewer at rrc.texas.gov.
In Texas, mineral rights and surface rights are separate legal estates that can be owned by different people. If the previous owner severed the mineral estate before selling you the surface, you could own the land but not the oil or gas beneath it. A mineral owner (or their lessee) has the right to use the surface as reasonably necessary to develop the minerals, even over a surface owner's objection.
Before buying land in Brazos County, pull the chain of title at the county clerk's office (300 E. 26th St., Bryan) or search online at brazos.tx.publicsearch.us to see whether the mineral rights were retained or transferred. The Brazos County website also notes that oil and gas activities in floodplains require a county permit.
Source to confirm: Texas Railroad Commission – Oil and Gas