In Martin County, Someone Else May Own What's Under Your Land

On rural Martin County land, the surface and minerals may not travel together. RRC says Texas treats them as separate estates.

When those rights split, the mineral estate is dominant. A company with a lease may use the surface as reasonably needed for wells, roads, pipelines, and other oil-and-gas work.

That does not make every conflict simple. RRC generally lacks jurisdiction over these ownership disputes. Before buying, ask whether the minerals transfer, whether leases are active, and whether a title attorney has read the deed history.