How to find who operates the oil or gas well on your land in Texas

The operator is the company that runs the well and files reports with the Railroad Commission. It is usually the company that pays royalties or knows who does, so it is the first company to contact about a missing check, a division order, damage on the surface, or an offer to buy your minerals.

1. Read the sign at the lease

RRC Statewide Rule 3 requires a sign at the lease entrance showing the operator and lease, and the RRC lease ID must be posted there too; it is the same number many check stubs show (RRC Royalties FAQ).

2. Look it up by name or number

If you know the lease name, the RRC lease number or the county, search Find my lease. Each lease page lists the current operator and its production, and links to the operator's page if it is one of the 200 largest. The operators index ranks them; the biggest by oil-equivalent volume over the last 12 months are PIONEER NATURAL RES. USA, INC., DIAMONDBACK E&P LLC, EOG RESOURCES, INC., ANADARKO E&P ONSHORE LLC, BPX OPERATING COMPANY. In all, 5,417 operators filed production reports with the RRC in that period.

3. No name or number? Use the map

Open the RRC Public GIS Viewer, zoom to your county and survey or abstract, and click the well symbol. The pop-up shows the API number, operator, lease name and links to production. If you only have an API number, the RRC Wellbore Query returns the operator and every lease ID tied to that wellbore (step by step).

4. Check recent permits

A new well on or near your tract shows up as a drilling permit before it produces. The permits feed lists this month's permits by county with the operator and lease name, and each county page has its own permit list. The RRC drilling permit query covers older ones.

When the operator changes

Wells are bought and sold often. An operator change is filed with the RRC, and the operator shown on our lease pages is the one on the latest monthly report. Under Texas law a new payor must send each royalty owner written notice with the lease details and a phone number (Tex. Nat. Res. Code §91.407). If checks stop after a sale, contact the new operator with your old stubs.

Operator, purchaser and payor are not always the same

The operator runs the well. The purchaser buys the oil or gas. The payor sends your check, which can be the operator, the purchaser or a third-party paying agent. Your stub names the payor and must include an address and phone number for questions (§91.502). The RRC tracks operators, not who owns the minerals; ownership is in the county deed records.

Next: reading a division order and checking your royalty check.