Mineral Rights Value in Texas in 2026

Producing mineral rights generally provide the clearest starting point for estimating value because they generate measurable royalty income.

If you are currently receiving royalty payments, you own producing mineral rights and you have a strong starting point for estimating their value. There is more to it than that, but here you have actual numbers to use as a foundation for estimating your mineral rights value.

In general, mineral rights in Texas sell for about 4 to 6 years’ worth of average monthly royalty income. Other factors can raise or lower that amount, but the good news is that Texas generally commands strong mineral pricing because of its high production levels, extensive infrastructure, and active drilling environment.

Why? Because Texas, particularly the Permian Basin, produces more oil and natural gas, not only than any other state, it produces more than many OPEC+ nations. As a result, buyer demand in the Permian, as well as in the Eagle Ford and other producing basins in Texas, is often significantly stronger than in other basins.

Also, because of this prolific production, Texas hosts significant numbers of companies who can drill and service wells. It is home to many pipelines ready to deliver oil and gas to market.

In other words, everything is in place to make oil and natural gas wells profitable very quickly in Texas. The combination of higher production, infrastructure and operator activity supports stronger mineral values in Texas.

How to Plug in Your Royalty Payment Numbers to Get Answers

To estimate your mineral rights value, start by gathering your last three months of royalty check stubs. Calculate the average monthly income from these payments, then use the calculator below to get a rough estimate of your property’s value.

Current royalty income is only one part of the mineral evaluation. If the company or companies producing your minerals are planning to drill more wells, your value could be more than what your current payments reflect. That’s because more wells would mean more oil and natural gas production, and more royalty income for the mineral buyer.

On the other hand, if the oil companies think they have already drilled the best prospects, the potential for future production would diminish, reducing the value of your mineral rights. Due to what’s called the “decline curve” of shale wells, the most common type drilled these days, existing wells’ production can drop quickly in the first two years.

Without new wells, a field’s production, and future income, would tail off, making your minerals’ future less valuable than what they’re producing today.

The next-best scenario for valuing mineral rights in Texas is if yours are leased but not yet producing. A positive signal for value, this means an oil and gas operator sees potential for future drilling and production, but it may not mean there’s an immediate schedule to start drilling.

Some owners of leased minerals have waited months or years without seeing any activity. In addition, many leases expire and are never leased again. So while a lease is positive, it is not a guarantee of further activity.

While leased but non-producing minerals are generally worth less than producing properties, they may still carry future upside depending on expected drilling plans and nearby activity.

So, What Are Your Minerals Worth?

You still have some numbers to work with, even without royalty payments. What was your most recent lease bonus? The value of your minerals would likely be 2 to 3 times that amount.

For example, let’s say your most recent lease bonus was $1,000 per acre. In that case, you could expect to sell them for $2,000-$3,000 per acre, if there are no current royalties.

This is an estimate, but it’s a reasonable one.

If your mineral rights are neither leased nor producing, they are considered non-producing. In most cases, these properties carry limited market value unless nearby leasing or drilling activity exists.

If nearby properties have recently been leased, or if you are near a producing area, this might help, but it’s still a risk many buyers are unwilling to take.

What Might They Be Worth?

In the best-case scenario, non-producing mineral rights in Texas might be $1,000 per acre, but more often the value falls between $0 and $250 per acre. Compared to producing rights, which could exceed $25,000 per acre, this is very small.

Investors pay little for non-producing rights because they could hold them for years without getting any return on investment. If you’ve ever had a lease, maybe one that has expired, this could add some value, but it still would be small.

Receiving an offer to purchase your mineral rights usually indicates there is perceived value in the property, but many owners choose to compare multiple offers before making a decision.

Why? Because most “out of the blue” offers don’t represent fair market value. Offer prices can vary significantly depending on the buyer, assumptions about future drilling, and market conditions.

Because buyers evaluate minerals differently, comparing offers and understanding market assumptions can become time-consuming for many owners.

Every buyer evaluates mineral rights differently based on factors like production history, location, operator, and pricing models. There’s not a “best” or “only” method.

For this reason, many owners choose to expose their minerals to multiple buyers rather than relying on a few unsolicited offers. Effectively marketing mineral rights requires contacting enough buyers, learning about their valuation criteria, comparing offers, having them compete directly, evaluating contracts, and managing the entire process.

Putting your property in front of a collection of the right buyers is how you get the best possible price.

That’s where US Mineral Exchange can help you.

US Mineral Exchange markets Texas mineral and royalty interests to a large network of qualified buyers across Texas. We do this by exposing your property to thousands of qualified buyers—the proven way to drive competition and raise your sale price.

Additional guides on the selling process, required documents, and what to expect after listing are available: what to expect after listing, how much it costs (answer: it costs nothing), and what documents you’ll need. US Mineral Exchange provides a transparent process that helps Texas mineral owners compare offers and sell for strong market value.

If you have questions about mineral rights value in Texas, please fill out the contact form below. Our team can help answer questions about mineral rights value, buyer activity, and the selling process in Texas.