Sand Springs sits in Howard County near Big Spring, on ground that's produced from the Spraberry trend since the 1950s and now sees renewed horizontal Wolfcamp development.
Howard County was one of the original Spraberry Trend counties, developed on tight vertical spacing starting in the 1950s after operators worked out how to produce economically from the formation's naturally fractured rock. That legacy vertical development means a lot of Sand Springs-area mineral title runs through decades-old leases and pooling orders, well before horizontal drilling ever entered the picture.
More recently, operators have layered horizontal Wolfcamp units over parts of that same legacy acreage, which can mean your tract is now tied to both an old vertical lease and a newer horizontal unit at once. We check both before pricing an interest here.
Legacy Spraberry alongside newer horizontals
We confirm whether your tract's production comes from an original vertical Spraberry well, a newer horizontal Wolfcamp well, or both, since royalty calculations and unit sizes differ significantly between the two eras.
Howard County courthouse records
We pull deed and lease history at the Howard County Courthouse in Big Spring, tracing your interest from whatever era it originates in through to your current confirmed fraction.
What determines your offer
Current production and decline for your specific well or unit, weighed against your confirmed net mineral acreage from the deed chain.
Place the county tract on the basin board
The local file should tie the county record and legal description to the relevant basin, formation, field, unit, wells, permits, and operator position. A surface address can help find the tract, but it does not establish the mineral interest or prove participation in nearby development.
Read the local well vintages
Producing wells, shut-in wells, intermittent wells, newer laterals, older vertical wells, nearby completions, and general operator acreage in the surrounding area belong in separate evidence lanes. The paid property history carries more weight than a rig or permit that does not include the subject acreage.
Reconcile the ownership line
Deeds, reservations, leases, assignments, probate or trust records, division orders, unit documents, payor records, and statements should all point to the same local interest. Acreage, fractions, burdens, depths, products, and the paid decimal stay open until the supporting records agree.
Compare the deed and closing terms
A written offer for the tract should state the exact interest conveyed, effective date, receivables, reservations, title standard, curative responsibility, adjustment rights, payment conditions, and recording sequence. A strong headline number can still carry a broad deed or a weak closing condition.
Texas Owner Questions
Your family's lease is decades old, from before horizontal drilling. Is it still valid?
Often the original lease has been held by production or superseded by a newer pooling order. We check the current status rather than assuming the original terms still apply exactly as written.
Has your tract been included in a newer horizontal unit?
We check Railroad Commission pooling filings against your legal description to confirm whether legacy acreage has been incorporated into newer development.
Do you buy interests still producing from old vertical wells?
Yes, and we price those against their actual current volumes rather than assuming an old well has stopped producing.
Your family's interest is a small fraction from a decades-old lease. Is it worth researching?
Yes, small legacy fractions in an actively developing county like Howard County are still worth confirming, since layered horizontal development can add unexpected value.
What if you only have an old royalty statement, not the original lease?
That's enough. A statement identifies the operator and property, which lets us pull the underlying lease and deed records ourselves.
