Mineral rights in Crane County, Texas
Crane County is one of Texas's most drilled counties right now — 402 permits approved in the last 24 months and activity cooling.
- 402
- Permits · 24 mo
- 8
- Rigs running
- 17,219
- Wells on record
- 9,985
- Mineral owners
down 53% vs prior 24 months
as of 2026-05-23
appraisal-linked records
Who's drilling Crane County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| Blackbeard Operating | 295 |
| Bta Oil Producers | 31 |
| Ring Energy | 26 |
| Mewbourne Oil | 21 |
| Nile Midstream | 7 |
What the record says
Crane County recorded 402 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 848 in the prior 24 months. Development here is overwhelmingly horizontal (75% of recent permits, averaging 7,626-foot laterals) — modern pad development that drains whole sections at a time. Most activity targets the Central Basin Platform play of the Permian Other basin.
On the production side, Texas Railroad Commission county cycle data shows Crane County produced roughly 16.6M barrels of oil and 63.4M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 9,985 mineral owners holding 37,305 appraisal-linked interest records with a combined appraised value around $2B. Fragmented ownership like this is where buyers find deals — and where heirs discover interests they didn't know they had. See our guide to researching mineral ownership.
Leasing has kept pace: 200 leases were recorded in the county over the last 24 months, with recent recorded leases averaging about 24.4% royalty. For how royalty terms work, see our royalty guide.
Thinking about value? Start with what drives mineral prices or run the numbers in the value calculator.
Crane County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Crane County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are Blackbeard Operating, Bta Oil Producers, Ring Energy. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Crane County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Crane County average about 24.4% royalty. Individual terms vary with acreage position, competition, and the operator — treat this as a market reference point, not a quote.
How many mineral owners are there in Crane County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 9,985 distinct mineral owners holding 37,305 interest records in Crane County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Crane County?
Start with the Crane County clerk's deed records and the county appraisal roll, then verify against state regulator filings. Our title search guide walks through the process, and the Mineral Eagle platform links these records for the whole county.
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Buying in Crane County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 9,985 of them, with the records to back it up.