Mineral rights in Karnes County, Texas
Karnes County is one of Texas's most drilled counties right now — 358 permits approved in the last 24 months and activity cooling.
- 358
- Permits · 24 mo
- 5
- Rigs running
- 10,310
- Wells on record
- 10,537
- Mineral owners
down 40% vs prior 24 months
as of 2026-05-23
appraisal-linked records
Who's drilling Karnes County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| Conocophillips | 179 |
| Devon | 34 |
| EOG | 29 |
| Magnolia Oil & Gas | 28 |
| Murphy Oil | 17 |
What the record says
Karnes County recorded 358 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 599 in the prior 24 months. Development here is overwhelmingly horizontal (98% of recent permits, averaging 6,415-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 Karnes County produced roughly 81.5M barrels of oil and 297.6M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 10,537 mineral owners holding 10,537 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: 232 leases were recorded in the county over the last 24 months, with recent recorded leases averaging about 24.3% 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.
Karnes County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Karnes County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are Conocophillips, Devon, EOG. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Karnes County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Karnes County average about 24.3% 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 Karnes County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 10,537 distinct mineral owners holding 10,537 interest records in Karnes County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Karnes County?
Start with the Karnes 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 Karnes County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 10,537 of them, with the records to back it up.