Digging deeper

If you own land in Texas, you might assume you own everything under the surface too. But in many cases, mineral rights - the rights to oil, gas, and other underground resources - have been severed from the surface estate. At Texas Mineral Search, we help landowners like you determine exactly what you own and whether you might be entitled to royalties.

What Are Mineral Rights?

Mineral rights give a person or entity the legal authority to explore for, extract, and sell underground resources such as:

• Crude oil

• Natural gas

• Coal

• Other minerals
  
  

In Texas, these rights can be:

• Unified with the surface ownership (you own both)

• Severed and sold or leased to another party (you own the surface, someone else owns the minerals)

Why You Might Not Own Your Mineral Rights

Mineral rights may have been sold decades ago - sometimes without the current landowner realizing it. This is common in:

• Ranch land subdivided in the 1900s

• Property with historical oil & gas activity

• Inherited land passed down without title review
  
  

How to Find Out What You Own

To confirm whether you own mineral rights, you need a detailed mineral title search, which involves:

1. Searching county deed records

2. Tracing ownership through prior transactions

3. Identifying any mineral reservations or conveyances
   
   

This can be time-consuming, especially for properties with complex histories - which is where we come in.

How Texas Mineral Search Can Help

At TexasMineralSearch.com, we offer:

• Affordable mineral title reviews

• Research customized to your specific property and county

• Easy-to-understand reports showing exactly what was found
  
  

Whether you’re trying to verify ownership, negotiate a lease, or evaluate a royalty offer, we provide the clarity you need before making any decisions.

If you’ve received a mineral deed - or stumbled across one in family records - you might be wondering: What does this even mean? The legal language can be confusing, but understanding your mineral deed is essential to knowing what rights you do (or don’t) own.

At Texas Mineral Search, we help landowners break down mineral documents into plain English. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the key parts of a Texas mineral deed.

What Is a Mineral Deed?

A mineral deed is a legal document that transfers ownership of underground mineral rights - such as oil, gas, or other resources - from one party to another. It may include:

• All mineral rights

• A fraction (like 50%)

• Only rights to certain formations or depths
  
  

It’s separate from your surface deed (your house or land) — and it’s often filed at the county courthouse.

Key Sections of a Mineral Deed

1. Granting Clause

The heart of the deed. This tells you who is giving and who is receiving the mineral rights - and exactly what interest is being conveyed.

Look for phrases like:

• “All of Grantor’s right, title, and interest…”

• “An undivided 1/2 interest in and to the minerals…”
  
  

Tip: Pay close attention to fractional wording. “1/2 of Grantor’s interest” may mean much less than 1/2 of the minerals.

2. Legal Description

This tells you where the mineral rights are located — down to the survey, section, block, or abstract number.

Tip: Compare this with your surface deed to confirm whether they match.

3. Reservations and Exceptions

This is where prior owners may have kept part of the rights, or limited what’s included.

Look for red flags like:

• “Subject to prior reservations…”

• “Grantor reserves all royalty rights…”
  
  

Tip: Even if you’re listed as the owner, these clauses can mean someone else still benefits.

4. Execution & Notary

A mineral deed must be properly signed, dated, and notarized to be legally valid — and recorded at the county clerk’s office.

Common Confusions

• Do I own all the minerals now? → Not necessarily. You may own a fraction.

• Does this mean I get royalties? → Only if your minerals are currently leased or in production.

• What if there’s a lease already in place? → You inherit that lease’s terms as the new owner.
  
  

How Texas Mineral Search Can Help

We specialize in:

• Breaking down old or inherited deeds

• Running a full mineral title search to verify ownership

• Explaining your legal rights in plain terms
  
  

 Book a consultation and we’ll help you understand exactly what your deed says - and what it doesn’t.

If you’re trying to figure out whether you own mineral rights - or what to do with them - you may have heard the term “landman.” But what does a landman actually do, and how can one help you?

At Texas Mineral Search, this is our specialty. Here’s a breakdown of how a landman works for you - not the oil companies.

What Is a Landman?

A landman is a trained professional who researches land and mineral ownership, negotiates oil & gas leases, and helps property owners understand their rights.

There are two types:

• Company landmen (in-house) → work for oil/gas operators

• Independent landmen (like us) → work for individual landowners and investors
  
  

What Does a Landman Do?

Here’s how we help:

• Mineral title research: Trace who owns what, back through time

• Ownership verification: Confirm how much interest you own (if any)

• Lease review: Explain terms, royalty rates, and obligations

• Heirship research: Identify who inherited what across generations
  
  

Why Should I Hire One?

You should consider hiring a landman if:

• You’ve inherited land and aren’t sure what you own

• You got a lease or royalty offer you don’t understand

• You want to sell minerals but need to prove ownership first

• You don’t want to get taken advantage of by brokers or operators
  
  

What Makes Texas Mineral Search Different?

We’re not pushing leases or purchases. We’re here to give you:

• Clarity: Know what you own before you sign anything

• Confidence: Navigate family mineral matters with support

• Protection: Avoid common traps and underpayments
  
  

Final Word

In Texas, mineral rights can be confusing - and valuable. A landman helps cut through the courthouse chaos and protect your interests.

When you own land in Texas, it’s easy to assume you own everything above and below it - but in reality, that’s not always the case.

In many parts of Texas, surface rights and mineral rights have been severed, meaning different parties may legally own different parts of the same property.

At Texas Mineral Search, we help landowners uncover exactly what they own. Here’s what you need to know about the difference between surface rights and mineral rights - and why it matters.

What Are Surface Rights?

Surface rights refer to ownership of the land itself - everything you can see and touch at ground level. This includes the right to:

• Build homes, fences, or structures

• Farm, ranch, or graze livestock

• Sell or lease the land

• Use the land for recreation or hunting
  
  

But surface rights do not automatically include ownership of what lies below the ground - like oil, gas, or other minerals.

What Are Mineral Rights?

Mineral rights give the legal authority to explore for, extract, and sell underground resources, such as:

• Crude oil

• Natural gas

• Coal

• Sand, gravel, or other minerals (depending on the deed)
  
  

Whoever owns the mineral rights can lease or sell them, collect royalties, and potentially access the land to extract the minerals - even if they don’t own the surface.

What Does “Severed” Mean?

A severed estate means the surface and mineral rights were legally split at some point in the past. This is common in Texas, especially in counties with historical oil and gas activity.

Example:
You may own 100 acres of land for ranching… but someone else might own the rights to everything underneath it.

Who Has More Power: Surface or Mineral Owners?

In Texas, mineral rights are dominant over surface rights. This means:

• A mineral owner (or their lessee) can access the land to drill or extract, even if you own the surface.

• They must use “reasonable accommodation” - but surface owners can’t prevent lawful mineral development.
  
  

Tip: Some surface owners negotiate a “surface use agreement” when minerals are leased.

How Can I Find Out What I Own?

That’s where we come in.

At Texas Mineral Search, we:

• Trace county deed records to confirm mineral vs. surface ownership

• Identify any reservations in past transactions

• Provide easy-to-read reports outlining exactly what you own - or don’t
  
  

Final Thoughts

If you’re buying land, inheriting property, or received an offer related to oil or gas, it’s critical to understand whether you own surface rights, mineral rights, or both.

Don’t assume - find out.

Book a mineral rights consultation and let us help you get clarity.

If you've inherited land - or just found out your family might have mineral rights in Texas - you're not alone. In many cases, oil, gas, or other mineral interests pass through generations without clear records or guidance.

At Texas Mineral Search, we help families uncover what they’ve inherited, how it’s divided, and what it means for leases, royalties, and ownership disputes.

Here’s what you need to know about how inheritance affects mineral rights ownership in Texas.

Are Mineral Rights Inherited Like Regular Property?

Yes - but with complications.

Mineral rights are considered real property in Texas. That means they can be:

• Inherited through a will

• Transferred by intestate succession (when there is no will)

• Divided between heirs or co-owners
  
  

But here’s the catch: mineral rights are often forgotten, unrecorded, or split over generations - which can make determining ownership a challenge.

Common Inheritance Scenarios

1. Willed Mineral Rights

If someone clearly states in their will, “I leave all my mineral rights in [County] to my daughter,” then that’s straightforward - assuming it was properly probated and recorded.

2. No Will (Intestate Succession)

If someone dies without a will:

• Texas law divides property among heirs (spouse, children, etc.)

• Each heir may receive a fractional interest in the mineral rights

• Over generations, this can lead to dozens of co-owners

3. Surface Given, Minerals Reserved

Sometimes a will or deed transfers the surface of a property but reserves the minerals. This is common when passing land to heirs while holding back mineral rights for income.

Why It Gets Complicated

• Fractional Interests: You may only own 1/64th of the mineral rights without knowing it.

• Unrecorded Transfers: If someone inherited minerals but didn’t file a deed, they’re still a legal owner - but it’s harder to prove.

• Heirship Gaps: Mineral rights can skip generations or become “orphaned” if heirs are never contacted.

• Leases & Royalties: You may already be entitled to royalties… or responsible for decisions on a lease you never knew existed.

Can I Sell or Lease Inherited Mineral Rights?

Yes - but only if you can prove ownership.
You’ll need:

• A clear chain of title from the original owner to you

• Filed probate documents or affidavits of heirship

• Legal documentation of your inherited share
  
  

Without this, oil companies or buyers may skip over your interest entirely.

How Texas Mineral Search Can Help

We specialize in helping families:

• Trace inherited mineral ownership through deeds and probate records

• Identify all heirs and fractional interests

• Break down complex ownership situations into plain English

• Document your rightful share for leasing, royalty claims, or sales
  
  

Whether you’ve inherited rights directly - or think you might be entitled through a parent or grandparent - we can help clarify what’s legally yours.

Book a mineral inheritance consultation

Final Thoughts

Mineral rights may be hidden, but they’re not lost - they just need to be found.
If your family once owned land in Texas, there’s a chance you’ve inherited something of value. We’ll help you find it, understand it, and protect it.