Oil and gas activity is regulated by the Railroad Commission

Upton County sits in the heart of the Permian Basin's Midland Basin and ranks among the highest crude-oil-producing counties in the whole state. In the Railroad Commission's monthly county ranking it has placed third in Texas, pumping about 7.76 million barrels in January 2024, behind only Midland and Martin counties. Every one of those wells was permitted and is overseen by the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC), which handles oil and gas statewide despite the railroad name. So when you buy a tract here, the surface you walk on and the minerals underneath it are two separate things in Texas, and they are often owned by two different people. A deed that hands you the land may say nothing about the oil and gas below it.

Whoever holds the mineral rights under your acreage can have the legal right to come drill for them, even when you own the surface. Before you close on land in Upton County, it is worth knowing who owns what is beneath it. The RRC's site lets you pull up permitted wells and active operators by county, so you can see what has already been drilled near a tract and who is working it. Got a question about a specific well by your property, or something you need to report? The RRC's Oil and Gas Division is the place to start, at rrc.texas.gov/oil-and-gas.