Map of Permian Basin Oil Fields

The Permian Basin is the most prolific oil-producing region in the United States. If you own land or mineral rights in West Texas or southeastern New Mexico, this map is more than geography. It reveals what your property may be worth and what steps you should take to protect it.

As a former landman turned oil and gas attorney, Nixon Daughtrey has walked these fields and reviewed countless leases firsthand. Understanding basin geography directly affects the deals landowners receive. This guide translates that insider knowledge into practical information you can use today.

Permian Basin Overview — Location and Size

The Permian Basin is a massive sedimentary basin covering roughly 86,000 square miles. It stretches across West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Formed approximately 250 to 300 million years ago, its complex geology created multiple stacked oil-bearing formations. As a result, it ranks among the most valuable petroleum regions on Earth.

The basin divides into three primary sub-basins. Each one has distinct geological characteristics and production profiles.

Midland Basin

The Midland Basin sits in the eastern portion of the Permian Basin. It includes counties such as Midland, Martin, Reagan, Upton, Glasscock, and Andrews. The Spraberry Trend and Wolfcamp Shale are the dominant producing formations here.

Horizontal drilling technology transformed this area from a mature conventional play into one of the most active drilling regions in the world. Consequently, landowners in these counties often receive lease offers from multiple operators at once.

Delaware Basin

The Delaware Basin sits to the west. It encompasses parts of West Texas — including Loving, Reeves, Ward, Culberson, and Pecos counties — and extends into southeastern New Mexico. Known for its geological complexity, this sub-basin includes the Bone Spring and Avalon Shale formations. Both formations have driven significant production growth since 2015.

Generally, the Delaware Basin features deeper formations than the Midland Basin. Deeper wells often mean higher drilling costs. However, they also produce prolific wells with strong initial production rates.

Central Basin Platform

The Central Basin Platform separates the Midland and Delaware Basins. This elevated structural feature has its own production history. While less active than the flanking basins for new horizontal drilling, conventional production from the platform has sustained operations for decades.

Permian Basin Counties Map (Texas)

The Permian Basin spans dozens of Texas counties. If your property falls within any of these counties, you may hold mineral rights with significant value — even if your surface acreage is modest.

Core Permian Basin Counties (Highest Activity)

Midland Basin Counties:

• Midland County: Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations — Very High activity
• Martin County: Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations — Very High activity
• Howard County: Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations — Very High activity
• Reagan County: Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations — High activity
• Upton County: Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations — High activity
• Andrews County: Wolfcamp and San Andres formations — High activity
• Glasscock County: Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations — High activity

Delaware Basin Counties:

• Loving County: Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations — Very High activity
• Reeves County: Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations — Very High activity
• Ward County: Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations — High activity
• Pecos County: Wolfcamp and Bone Spring formations — High activity

Cross-Basin Counties:

• Winkler County: Wolfcamp and Delaware formations — High activity
• Ector County: Wolfcamp and Goldsmith formations — High activity
• Crane County: Wolfcamp and various formations — Moderate-High activity

Extended Permian Basin Counties

Several additional counties sit along the basin’s edges. Activity levels here are moderate to low, but mineral rights may still carry value.

Northern and Western Edge:

• Borden, Dawson, Scurry: Northern edge of the Midland Basin — Moderate activity
• Gaines, Yoakum: Western edge of the Midland Basin — Moderate activity
• Culberson: Western edge of the Delaware Basin — Moderate activity
• Lea and Eddy (New Mexico): Delaware Basin — Very High activity

Eastern and Southern Edge:

• Coke, Irion, Sterling, Mitchell: Eastern edge — Low to Moderate activity
• Crockett: Southern edge — Moderate activity
• Nolan, Tom Green: Eastern edge — Low activity
• Jeff Davis, Terrell, Val Verde: Far western and southern edges — Low activity

Own land or minerals in one of these counties? Even if you have never received contact from an oil company, your mineral rights may carry significant value. Call 713-669-1498 to schedule a mineral rights consultation.

Key Producing Formations

The Permian Basin’s value comes from multiple stacked geological formations. Each one produces oil and gas at different depths. Understanding these formations matters because they determine which companies lease in your area, what your minerals might be worth, and how many separate zones could be developed beneath your property.

Wolfcamp Shale

The Wolfcamp is the Permian Basin’s most productive formation. It spans both the Midland and Delaware Basins and contains an estimated 9 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Production from this single formation exceeds 1 million barrels per day.

Importantly, the Wolfcamp divides into four benches — A, B, C, and D. Operators can target each bench with separate horizontal wells. This means a single surface location may support multiple wells at different depths. As a result, lease terms and pooling provisions matter greatly for landowners.

Bone Spring Formation

The Bone Spring sits primarily in the Delaware Basin. It has emerged as one of the most productive formations in the Permian. By 2022, it contributed more than 650,000 barrels per day. Production continues to grow as drilling technology improves.

Additionally, the Bone Spring sits above the Wolfcamp in the Delaware Basin. Properties in this area may therefore hold productive potential in both formations.

Spraberry Trend

The Spraberry Trend covers roughly 2,500 square miles in the Midland Basin. It accounts for approximately 15% of total Permian Basin production. This formation is one of the oldest producing areas in the basin, with conventional vertical wells dating back to the 1950s. Modern horizontal drilling has since unlocked vast additional reserves.

What Multiple Formations Mean for Landowners

If your property overlies multiple formations, each zone represents a potential separate development opportunity. Your lease should address several critical questions. First, how does the operator calculate royalties across multiple zones? Second, can the operator pool your interest with neighboring tracts? Finally, what happens when drilling moves from one formation to another?

An experienced oil and gas attorney can review these provisions before you sign. Learn more about our mineral lease review service.

Current Production Numbers (2026)

The Permian Basin’s production statistics underscore why mineral rights in this region carry significant value.

Key production figures:

• Total oil production: approximately 6+ million barrels per day (as of late 2025/early 2026)
• Share of U.S. output: roughly 40% of total U.S. oil production
• Natural gas production: approximately 25 billion cubic feet per day, representing about 15% of U.S. natural gas output
• Active drilling rigs: approximately 300–350 rigs operating at any given time

Proven Reserves and Production Outlook

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates the Permian Basin contains roughly 20 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. That figure represents nearly 40% of all proven onshore reserves in the United States.

Analysts project continued production growth through the 2030s. Ongoing improvements in horizontal drilling, completion techniques, and water management support this outlook. As a result, the Permian Basin is expected to remain the dominant U.S. producing region for the foreseeable future.

What Production Means for Mineral Owners

High production volumes drive competition among operators for acreage. That competition translates to leverage for landowners who understand their negotiating position. Lease bonus payments, royalty rates, and lease terms are all negotiable. Owners who negotiate typically receive substantially better deals than those who sign the first offer.

What the Map Means for Mineral Owners

Your County Is on the Map — Now What?

If your property sits in one of the counties listed above, several things may apply to your situation.

You may already have active leases. Previous owners may have signed mineral leases that are still producing. If you inherited the property, you may be entitled to royalty payments you do not know about.

You may receive unsolicited lease offers. Operators and landmen actively lease mineral rights throughout the Permian Basin. If you receive a lease offer, it is almost certainly below what a negotiated lease would produce. Before responding, consider whether you need a lease review or full negotiation.

Your minerals may hold significant market value. Permian Basin mineral rights routinely sell for thousands to tens of thousands of dollars per net mineral acre. Value depends on location, formation exposure, and current development activity.

Understanding Lease Activity in Your Area

Before signing any lease or responding to any offer, you should understand what is happening around your property.

Check the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) website for drilling permits, well completions, and production data in your area. The RRC’s GIS mapping tool shows well locations relative to your property.

Review your county’s deed records for recent mineral lease filings. This research reveals what bonus amounts and royalty rates your neighbors receive. For a deeper look at how to research ownership, see our guide on researching mineral rights ownership in Texas.

Identify the active operators in your county. Major operators like ExxonMobil (formerly Pioneer), Diamondback Energy, ConocoPhillips, Devon Energy, and Permian Resources typically offer better lease terms than smaller or less-established companies.

Received a lease offer? Our $750 Oil & Gas Lease Review analyzes every clause and identifies exactly what to negotiate.

How to Determine If You Own Mineral Rights

In Texas, mineral rights can be severed from surface rights. Owning the surface does not automatically mean you own the minerals beneath it. Determining mineral ownership requires investigating the chain of title.

1. Check your deed.
Look for language about mineral reservations or exceptions. Phrases like “save and except all oil, gas, and other minerals” mean a prior owner retained the minerals.

2. Search county deed records.
Your county clerk’s office maintains records of all property transfers, mineral conveyances, and lease filings. Look for mineral deeds, royalty deeds, and lease memorandums that reference your property.

3. Check for active leases.
If someone pays you royalties, you own at least a portion of the mineral rights. If you inherited property and are not receiving royalty checks, the minerals may have been leased with payments going to the wrong address. Alternatively, the minerals may have been severed in a prior transaction.

4. Order a mineral title search.
For definitive answers, a professional title search traces the complete ownership history of the mineral estate. It reveals exactly what fraction of minerals you own, whether any leases are in effect, and whether any other parties hold claims.

The Daughtrey Law Firm conducts mineral title searches for landowners throughout the Permian Basin. A clear understanding of what you own is the foundation of every good decision about leasing, selling, or holding your mineral rights.

Protecting Your Mineral Rights in the Permian Basin

Understanding the map is step one. Protecting what you own is the real work.

Never sign a lease without professional review. Oil company lease forms are drafted by their attorneys to favor the operator. Standard lease terms routinely include provisions that reduce your royalty, extend the lease indefinitely, and allow the operator to pool your interest into massive units that dilute your ownership. For more on this, read about essential oil lease clauses that protect Texas landowners.

Key Lease Provisions to Negotiate

• Royalty rate: The standard 1/8 or 12.5% royalty is outdated. Permian Basin leases commonly negotiate to 22–25%.
• Gross proceeds royalty language: This eliminates post-production deductions from your royalty check.
• Pugh clause: Prevents one producing well from holding your entire lease acreage.
• Pooling limitations: Controls how much of your interest can be combined with other tracts.
• Surface use restrictions: Protects your ability to use and enjoy your land.
• Lease duration and extension provisions: Understand how primary and secondary terms affect your rights long-term.

Safeguard Your Records and Contact Information

Keep your contact information current with every operator paying you royalties. Unclaimed royalties revert to the Texas Comptroller’s unclaimed property division. If you have moved, changed your name through marriage, or inherited minerals, update your records promptly.

In addition, maintain records of all mineral-related documents. Deeds, leases, division orders, royalty statements, and correspondence with operators are all critical. You or your heirs may need these documents in the future. Consider working with an estate planning attorney to ensure your mineral assets transfer properly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much are mineral rights worth in the Permian Basin?

Value depends on location, formation exposure, existing production, and current lease status. Unleased mineral rights in core Permian Basin counties with active drilling have sold for $10,000 to $50,000+ per net mineral acre. Producing minerals with established royalty income are valued based on the income stream. A professional mineral appraisal provides a defensible estimate.

Can I sell just my mineral rights and keep the surface?

Yes. In Texas, mineral rights and surface rights are separate property interests. You can own, sell, lease, and inherit them independently. You can sell your mineral rights to a buyer while keeping full ownership of the surface.

What is a net mineral acre?

A net mineral acre represents your proportional ownership of the mineral estate. For example, if you own 100% of the minerals under 80 acres, you have 80 net mineral acres. If you own 50% of the minerals under 80 acres, you have 40 net mineral acres.

How long do Permian Basin mineral leases last?

A typical primary term is 3 to 5 years. If the operator drills a producing well during that period, the lease becomes “held by production” and continues as long as production exists. Without a proper Pugh clause and continuous development provisions, a single well can hold your entire leased acreage indefinitely.

I inherited land in West Texas. How do I find out if I have mineral rights?

Start with the deed that transferred the property to you or to the person you inherited from. If the deed does not reserve or except minerals, you likely own them. For certainty, a mineral title search traces the complete ownership chain and identifies exactly what you own. Also review our guide on inherited mineral rights in Texas.

What should I do if I receive a lease offer from an oil company?

Do not sign it without professional review. The first offer is almost always below market value. An experienced oil and gas attorney can review the lease, identify problematic provisions, and negotiate better terms. Our flat-fee lease review covers everything for $750.

Conclusion

Understanding the map of the Permian Basin is essential for mineral owners, landowners, and heirs with property in West Texas. The basin’s geology, county-by-county activity levels, and stacked formations all affect what your mineral rights are worth and how you should manage them.

Whether you need to verify ownership, review a lease offer, or negotiate stronger terms, the Daughtrey Law Firm focuses exclusively on representing Texas landowners and mineral owners. Contact us at 713-669-1498 to protect your interests with clarity and confidence.