Mineral rights in Howard County, Texas
Howard County is one of Texas's most drilled counties right now — 422 permits approved in the last 24 months and activity cooling.
- 422
- Permits · 24 mo
- 7
- Rigs running
- 19,541
- Wells on record
- 71,567
- Mineral owners
down 46% vs prior 24 months
as of 2026-05-23
appraisal-linked records
Who's drilling Howard County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| Occidental | 84 |
| Highpeak Energy | 69 |
| Surge Operating | 65 |
| Diamondback | 54 |
| Ovintiv | 31 |
What the record says
Howard County recorded 422 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 788 in the prior 24 months. Development here is overwhelmingly horizontal (86% of recent permits, averaging 7,950-foot laterals) — modern pad development that drains whole sections at a time. Activity centers on the Midland basin.
On the production side, Texas Railroad Commission county cycle data shows Howard County produced roughly 95.1M barrels of oil and 421.3M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 71,567 mineral owners holding 505,189 appraisal-linked interest records with a combined appraised value around $10.4B. 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: 1,139 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.
Howard County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Howard County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are Occidental, Highpeak Energy, Surge Operating. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Howard County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Howard 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 Howard County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 71,567 distinct mineral owners holding 505,189 interest records in Howard County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Howard County?
Start with the Howard 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 Howard County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 71,567 of them, with the records to back it up.