Mineral rights in Culberson County, Texas
Culberson County is one of Texas's most drilled counties right now — 356 permits approved in the last 24 months and activity holding steady.
- 356
- Permits · 24 mo
- 6
- Rigs running
- 5,667
- Wells on record
- 626
- Mineral owners
steady vs prior 24 months
as of 2026-05-23
appraisal-linked records
Who's drilling Culberson County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| Devon | 240 |
| Chevron | 72 |
| Conocophillips | 22 |
| Permian Resources | 7 |
| Capitan Energy | 6 |
What the record says
Culberson County recorded 356 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 368 in the prior 24 months. Development here is overwhelmingly horizontal (94% of recent permits, averaging 9,911-foot laterals) — modern pad development that drains whole sections at a time. Activity centers on the Delaware basin.
On the production side, Texas Railroad Commission county cycle data shows Culberson County produced roughly 373.7K barrels of oil and 545.3M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 626 mineral owners holding 626 appraisal-linked interest records . 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: 4 leases were recorded in the county over the last 24 months, with recent recorded leases averaging about 24.8% 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.
Culberson County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Culberson County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are Devon, Chevron, Conocophillips. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Culberson County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Culberson County average about 24.8% 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 Culberson County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 626 distinct mineral owners holding 626 interest records in Culberson County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Culberson County?
Start with the Culberson 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 Culberson County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 626 of them, with the records to back it up.