Mineral rights in Kent County, Texas
Kent County sees steady, selective drilling — 22 permits over the last 24 months, cooling versus the prior period.
- 22
- Permits · 24 mo
- 3,444
- Wells on record
- 988
- Mineral owners
- 20.3%
- Avg lease royalty
down 19% vs prior 24 months
appraisal-linked records
recorded leases, 5 yrs
Who's drilling Kent County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| Occidental | 16 |
| Sojourner Drilling | 3 |
| Canan Mowrey Operating, LLC | 2 |
| Joint Resources Company | 1 |
What the record says
Kent County recorded 22 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 27 in the prior 24 months. 5% of recent permits are horizontal wells averaging 1,507-foot laterals. Most activity targets the Eastern Shelf play of the Permian Other basin.
On the production side, Texas Railroad Commission county cycle data shows Kent County produced roughly 2M barrels of oil and 5.1M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 988 mineral owners holding 988 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.
Thinking about value? Start with what drives mineral prices or run the numbers in the value calculator.
Kent County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Kent County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are Occidental, Sojourner Drilling, Canan Mowrey Operating, LLC. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Kent County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Kent County average about 20.3% 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 Kent County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 988 distinct mineral owners holding 988 interest records in Kent County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Kent County?
Start with the Kent 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 Kent County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 988 of them, with the records to back it up.