Mineral rights in Gonzales County, Texas
Gonzales County is an active Texas drilling market: 127 permits in the last 24 months, with the pace cooling.
- 127
- Permits · 24 mo
- 5,910
- Wells on record
- 5,840
- Mineral owners
- 20.8%
- Avg lease royalty
down 39% vs prior 24 months
appraisal-linked records
recorded leases, 5 yrs
Who's drilling Gonzales County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| EOG | 66 |
| Baytex Energy | 18 |
| Conocophillips | 18 |
| Magnolia Oil & Gas | 8 |
| Silver Hill Energy Partners | 6 |
What the record says
Gonzales County recorded 127 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 208 in the prior 24 months. Development here is overwhelmingly horizontal (97% of recent permits, averaging 7,556-foot laterals) — modern pad development that drains whole sections at a time. Most activity targets the Eagle Ford play of the Western Gulf basin.
On the production side, Texas Railroad Commission county cycle data shows Gonzales County produced roughly 25.9M barrels of oil and 35.7M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 5,840 mineral owners holding 5,840 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: 85 leases were recorded in the county over the last 24 months, with recent recorded leases averaging about 20.8% 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.
Gonzales County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Gonzales County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are EOG, Baytex Energy, Conocophillips. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Gonzales County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Gonzales County average about 20.8% 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 Gonzales County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 5,840 distinct mineral owners holding 5,840 interest records in Gonzales County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Gonzales County?
Start with the Gonzales 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 Gonzales County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 5,840 of them, with the records to back it up.