Mineral rights in Winkler County, Texas
Winkler County is one of Texas's most drilled counties right now — 232 permits approved in the last 24 months and activity cooling.
- 232
- Permits · 24 mo
- 4
- Rigs running
- 15,414
- Wells on record
- 2,857
- Mineral owners
down 19% vs prior 24 months
as of 2026-05-23
appraisal-linked records
Who's drilling Winkler County
Operators ranked by drilling permits approved in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23.
| Operator | Permits · 24 mo |
|---|---|
| Continental Resources | 50 |
| Basin Oil & Gas | 34 |
| Blackbeard Operating | 29 |
| Conocophillips | 19 |
| Permian Resources | 17 |
What the record says
Winkler County recorded 232 drilling permits in the 24 months ending 2026-05-23, against 288 in the prior 24 months. Development here is overwhelmingly horizontal (72% of recent permits, averaging 9,118-foot laterals) — modern pad development that drains whole sections at a time. Activity centers on the Delaware basin.
On the production side, Texas Railroad Commission county cycle data shows Winkler County produced roughly 22.3M barrels of oil and 72.5M Mcf of gas in 2025 — the royalty base that mineral values here are priced against.
Ownership is spread across 2,857 mineral owners holding 2,857 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: 905 leases were recorded in the county over the last 24 months, with recent recorded leases averaging about 22.5% 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.
Winkler County mineral rights FAQ
Who is drilling in Winkler County, Texas?
The most active operators by permits approved in the last 24 months are Continental Resources, Basin Oil & Gas, Blackbeard Operating. The full table above lists the top five with permit counts.
What royalty are leases paying in Winkler County?
Recorded leases over the past five years in Winkler County average about 22.5% 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 Winkler County?
County appraisal and ownership records show 2,857 distinct mineral owners holding 2,857 interest records in Winkler County as of the 2026-05-23 snapshot.
How do I research mineral rights ownership in Winkler County?
Start with the Winkler 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 Winkler County?
Mineral Eagle links every permit above to the owners it affects — 2,857 of them, with the records to back it up.