How to Run Title in Texas — A Landman's Guide

March 1, 2026 • 8 min read

Running title is the core skill of the oil and gas landman. Whether you are a field landman working your first project or a seasoned professional brushing up, the fundamentals of title examination in Texas follow a consistent process. This guide walks through the practical steps, from the courthouse to the final runsheet.

What Does "Running Title" Mean?

Running title means tracing the ownership of mineral rights through the chain of conveyances — deeds, leases, probates, and other instruments — from the sovereign (the State of Texas or Republic of Texas) down to the present mineral owners. The end product is typically a runsheet or title opinion that shows who owns what interest and whether there are any title defects that need to be cured.

Step 1: Get Your Abstract and Legal Description

Before you set foot in a courthouse, you need to know exactly what tract you are examining. In Texas, land is identified by its abstract number, survey name, and original grantee. Your client should provide a legal description or at least an API number from which you can derive the location.

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) maintains the original land patent records. For most title work, you will start with the abstract and survey information and work forward from the patent or sovereign grant.

Step 2: County Clerk's Office — The Deed Records

The county clerk's office is where the rubber meets the road. Texas is a "race-notice" recording state, meaning instruments must be recorded to give constructive notice. You will be searching through:

• Deed records — Warranty deeds, mineral deeds, royalty deeds, quitclaim deeds
• Oil and gas leases — Both recorded and referenced in assignments
• Probate records — Wills, heirship affidavits, estate proceedings
• Liens and encumbrances — Federal tax liens, judgments, mechanics liens
• Plats and surveys — For boundary issues and subdivisions

Most Texas counties now have electronic indices, and some have full document images online. Counties like Midland, Ector, and Harris have invested in digital access. Smaller counties may still require in-person visits.

Step 3: Build Your Chain of Title

Start at the patent (or the earliest available conveyance) and work forward. For each transaction, record the grantor, grantee, date, recording information, and a brief description of what was conveyed. Pay attention to reservations — a seller who reserves "an undivided 1/2 of the mineral estate" has split the mineral title, and you need to track both halves going forward.

Common issues to watch for:

• Deed descriptions that do not match the survey — metes and bounds errors are common in older conveyances
• Outstanding mineral reservations that may have terminated under the Texas Mineral Interest Pooling Act or the Reversion Act
• Heirship issues — intestate succession in Texas can split minerals across a large number of heirs
• Pooling designations that affect lease royalties

Step 4: Check the Railroad Commission Records

The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) maintains records on every well drilled in the state. For title purposes, you need to check:

• Operator assignments — Who the RRC recognizes as the current operator
• Proration units / pooled units — What tracts are pooled together for production
• Production data — To verify active production status and lease maintenance

This is where a tool like MineralSearch saves significant time. Instead of navigating the RRC's legacy query system, you can search by API number, operator, or lease name and get well data, production records, and permit history in one interface.

Step 5: Assemble the Runsheet

The runsheet is your deliverable. It organizes the chain of title chronologically and calculates the current mineral and leasehold ownership. A good runsheet clearly shows:

• The full chain from patent to present
• Current mineral interest owners and their fractional interests
• Current lease status — who holds the lease, whether it is held by production
• Any title defects or requirements that need to be addressed

For more on building runsheets, see our guide on Chain of Title — How to Build a Runsheet.