Oil & Gas Regulation
Check the Railroad Commission Before Buying Rural Land
The Texas Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas wells in Wichita County and maintains public records you can search before purchasing rural property.
Wichita County falls under RRC District 9, with the district office in Wichita Falls. The RRC regulates drilling, production, and plugging of wells. It also tracks abandoned and orphaned wells. An old, improperly plugged well on your land can be a liability.
The RRC does not handle lease payments, royalty disputes, or mineral ownership—those are civil matters. But its online search tools at rrc.texas.gov let you look up well locations, operator names, and production histories. If you are buying land with oil and gas history, a title search and a check of the RRC's well map can reveal what is on or under the property.
Source to confirm: Railroad Commission of Texas – Oil and Gas Well Records