Mineral rights in Madison County, Texas
Madison County sees steady, selective drilling — 11 permits over the last 24 months, cooling versus the prior period.
- 11
- Permits · 24 mo
- 1,771
- Wells on record
- 6,226
- Mineral owners
- 20.1%
- Avg lease royalty
down 42% vs prior 24 months
appraisal-linked records
recorded leases, 5 yrs
Who's drilling Madison County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| Wildfire Energy | 6 |
| Empire Texas Operating LLC | 3 |
| Southwest Operating-Tyler | 1 |
| Bull Run Resources LLC | 1 |
What the record says
Madison County recorded 11 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 19 in the prior 24 months. Development here is overwhelmingly horizontal (64% of recent permits, averaging 9,239-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 Madison County produced roughly 1.7M barrels of oil and 3.4M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 6,226 mineral owners holding 6,226 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: 505 leases were recorded in the county over the last 24 months, with recent recorded leases averaging about 20.1% 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.
Madison County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Madison County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are Wildfire Energy, Empire Texas Operating LLC, Southwest Operating-Tyler. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Madison County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Madison County average about 20.1% 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 Madison County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 6,226 distinct mineral owners holding 6,226 interest records in Madison County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Madison County?
Start with the Madison 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 Madison County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 6,226 of them, with the records to back it up.