Oil was discovered in Fort Bend County in 1919

Fort Bend County's economy was built on agriculture for its first century. That changed in 1919 when Gulf Oil brought in the county's first commercially producing oil well. By the mid-1970s, petroleum development was a major part of the local economy.

Oil and gas activity has fluctuated with market cycles since then. The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) regulates oil and gas production statewide and keeps records of wells in the county.

If you buy rural property in Fort Bend County, ask whether mineral rights are included in the sale. In Texas, mineral rights can be owned separately from the surface land.