Sell Howard County mineral rights
What Howard County mineral and royalty interests are worth, who buys them, and how to sell directly to a principal buyer with no commission. Every figure is an estimate subject to verification of your specific interest.
Last updated June 2026.
What are Howard County mineral rights worth?
Howard County, on the eastern shelf of the Midland Basin around Big Spring, has seen a wave of horizontal Wolfcamp and Spraberry development. Producing interests are valued on the 36 to 72 times monthly royalty rule and price well where wells are recent, operators are active, and locations remain. Estimate, subject to verification.
Howard County, centered on Big Spring in the eastern Midland Basin, was a quiet conventional oil county for decades before the horizontal Wolfcamp and Spraberry boom turned it into one of the busier mineral markets in the basin. Because so much of the development here is recent, a large share of owners are seeing royalty checks grow and fielding purchase offers for the first time, often without knowing what the interest is actually worth, which makes Howard a county where uninformed sellers are especially at risk of being underpriced. Value varies block by block: the operator, the recency of drilling, the strength of early production, and how many locations remain undeveloped matter as much as the county name. Owners in Howard County often sell to lock in value while wells are producing strongly, to settle an estate among several heirs, or because they would rather take certainty now than wait on the next rig.
Howard County oil and gas activity
Public state commission records show 5,370 active oil and gas wells in Howard County . The most recent drilling on record was spudded in 2026. These figures are pulled from the state oil and gas commission and are an activity snapshot, not a measure of any one owner's interest.
Top operators in Howard County
The most active operators in Howard County by well count, from the state commission. We name operators because the record is public; this is not an endorsement and implies no relationship.
- Crownquest Operating, LLC (537 wells)
- Surge Operating, LLC (531 wells)
- SM Energy (400 wells)
- Birch Operations, INC. (281 wells)
- Highpeak Energy Holdings, LLC. (272 wells)
Producing formations in Howard County
The formations and pools that actually produce in Howard County, from the well records:
Producing interests here are valued on the standard income multiple, roughly 36 to 72 times the average monthly royalty check, and core Midland Basin acreage prices near the top of the Permian range. This is an estimate, subject to verification, not an offer.
How Howard County minerals are valued
Producing interests anywhere are valued on a multiple of the income they pay: roughly 36 to 72 times your average monthly royalty check, the same as 3 to 6 times your annual royalty. Average your last three to six checks, then multiply. Where you land inside that band depends mostly on how fast your wells decline, plus the operator, royalty rate, and any undeveloped drilling upside. For the full method and a free on-screen estimate, see what are my mineral rights worth.
Who buys mineral rights in Howard County
Howard County owners hear from brokers, marketplaces, and direct buyers. A broker lists your interest and takes a commission, usually up to 6 percent of your proceeds. Ironwood Royalty is a principal buyer, which means the offer comes from us and there is no commission in the middle. We show you a value range before we ask for anything, explain the undeveloped upside instead of quietly keeping it, and never use a 72-hour deadline to rush a decision on a generational asset.
How to sell Howard County minerals
The order of operations is the same everywhere, and it protects you:
- Know your value range before you talk to any buyer.
- Ask every buyer to quote per net royalty acre so offers are truly comparable.
- Ask directly whether the offer accounts for undeveloped drilling upside.
- Confirm the price is firm and not subject to a quiet reduction during due diligence.
See the full walkthrough in how to sell mineral rights. If you inherited the interest, start with our guide for heirs, which covers recording title and the stepped-up basis that can make a near-term sale very tax-efficient.
Howard County is part of the Permian Basin. For the basin-wide value bands and the other counties we buy in, see the Permian Basin page.
Howard County mineral rights questions
- How much are Howard County mineral rights worth?
- Producing Howard County minerals are valued at roughly 36 to 72 times your average monthly royalty check. Howard has seen heavy recent horizontal drilling, so newer wells with strong early production and remaining locations can push value toward the upper end of the range. This is an estimate, not an offer.
- Is Howard County good mineral acreage?
- Yes. Howard County sits on the eastern side of the Midland Basin and has attracted significant horizontal Wolfcamp and Spraberry development. Value varies block by block, so the well operator, the recency of drilling, and remaining undeveloped locations matter as much as the county name.
- I just started getting offers on my Howard County minerals. What should I do first?
- Because Howard County development is recent, many owners get their first offers without knowing their value. The safest move is to learn your value range before you respond, then ask every buyer to quote per net royalty acre so the offers are comparable and to confirm whether the offer accounts for undeveloped drilling upside. Ironwood shows you a range first and never uses a deadline to rush you.
Activity data for Howard County: Texas Railroad Commission, Well Distribution by County (official producing oil and gas well counts) (pulled 2026-06-17) ; FracFocus national chemical disclosure registry, operators of record by county (public bulk data) (pulled 2026-06-17) . Public record, used with attribution.
See what your Howard County minerals could be worth
Run a free estimate for an honest on-screen range, then talk it through with a real person. An estimate, not an offer, and never any pressure.