What are Mineral Rights?
Understanding What Lies Beneath the Surface
Understanding What Lies Beneath the Surface
Mineral rights are the legal rights to explore for, extract, and profit from natural resources beneath a piece of land. These resources can include oil, gas, coal, salt, and more.
Owning mineral rights doesn’t always mean you own the land on top. In Texas, it’s common for mineral and surface rights to be split, especially on land that’s been bought and sold many times.
Mineral rights can apply to:
Oil and natural gas (most common in Texas)
Coal, uranium, salt, and lignite
Groundwater and sand in certain cases (though these are often regulated differently)
If you own the mineral rights, you can lease or sell access to these resources - or just hold onto them.
Ownership can be:
Unified: Surface and minerals owned by the same person
Severed: Mineral rights were sold or retained separately from surface
Fractionalized: Divided among multiple heirs or parties over time
Texas landowners often don’t know if they still own their minerals - and that’s where our research can help.
Surface Rights control the surface of the land. It can encompass land, buildings, and crops.
Mineral Rights control subsurface resources.
Both surface and mineral rights can be sold separately.
If severed, mineral rights take legal precedence over surface rights - meaning drilling could occur even without surface owner consent.
Mineral rights can be:
Sold outright
Leased (common for oil and gas operators)
Passed down through wills, estates, or intestate succession
Reserved in deeds (e.g., "Seller reserves all oil and gas rights")
Over time, ownership becomes harder to trace - especially through family lines. That’s where professional research comes in.
If you own mineral rights, you can:
Lease them to oil & gas companies for royalties
Sell them outright
Retain them and monitor drilling activity
Pass them on to your heirs
We offer ownership reports so you can make informed decisions.
Common signs you may have inherited rights:
You’re receiving small royalty checks
A company reached out to lease or buy minerals
You inherited land but don’t know what’s under it
We specialize in tracing these complicated situations. You don’t need to be a land expert - we’ll help you figure it out.
To confirm ownership, you may need to:
Review old deeds or probate records
Search county clerk offices or online title databases
Understand oil & gas lease history
Trace how rights were divided over generations
This process can be complex - and that’s exactly why we exist. Learn more about our Parcel Lookup or Title Reports.
When you're trying to figure out whether you own mineral rights - or what to do with them - you'll likely hear the term "landman." But what exactly does a landman do, and how can one help?
At Texas Mineral Search, this is our specialty. Here's what you need to know.
A landman is a professional who specializes in researching land and mineral ownership records, negotiating leases, and resolving questions about property rights - especially in oil and gas.
There are two common types:
In-house landmen work for oil or gas companies to acquire drilling rights.
Independent landmen work for individuals, attorneys, or investors - like you - to investigate and clarify ownership.
A landman's work includes:
Title research: Tracing deed records to determine mineral ownership.
Lease analysis: Reviewing oil & gas lease terms to understand your obligations and opportunities.
Ownership verification: Confirming if you own 100%, a fraction, or none of the mineral rights.
Negotiation support: Advising you on fair lease terms or royalty offers.
Due diligence: Helping avoid scams or rushed sales by identifying red flags.
You should consider hiring a landman if:
You inherited land in Texas and don't know what you own
You received a royalty check or lease offer out of the blue
You're thinking of selling or leasing your mineral rights
You want clarity before speaking with oil companies or land agents
A good landman levels the playing field. While oil companies have entire departments protecting their interests - a landman protects yours.
At TexasMineralSearch.com, we act as your personal landman — not a broker working for someone else. When you hire us, you get:
A detailed, easy-to-read report on your mineral ownership
Clear guidance based on public deed records, not guesses
Low-rate pricing and no-pressure consultations