Why the payor name on your royalty check often differs from the company actually drilling — and how to identify the real operator of your Permian Basin minerals.
Mineral owners are often confused that the company on their royalty check isn't the one they see drilling. That's normal: after mergers and acquisitions, operators pay royalties through subsidiaries and legacy company names. This page shows how to identify your true operator — and maps the common payor names to the companies that actually run the wells.
The company issuing your royalty check (the "payor") is named on the stub. After mergers and acquisitions, operators often pay under a subsidiary or legacy company name, so this may differ from the company actually drilling. Note the exact name.
Your division order lists the operator, the well or unit name, and your decimal interest. It is the clearest single document tying your interest to a specific operator and property.
Your oil and gas lease and any recorded assignments (at the county clerk) show who currently holds operating rights on your tract, which can change as leases are bought and sold.
In Texas, search the Railroad Commission (RRC) by lease, well, or operator. In New Mexico, search the Oil Conservation Division (OCD). These public records confirm the current operator of record.
Use the payor-name index on this page to connect the name on your check to the company that operates the wells and where it is currently drilling. Then get a free valuation of your interest from ARB.
Royalties from a single operator can arrive under several names — the parent company, a subsidiary, or an acquired company kept as a payor. Find the name on your check stub below to see who operates the wells and where they're active (as of June 13, 2026).
| If your check says… | The operator is… | Permian focus |
|---|---|---|
| Anadarko Petroleum | Occidental Petroleum | Delaware Basin, Midland Basin, and Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf CO2 EOR (Gaines, Yoakum counties) |
| APA Corporation | APA (Apache) | Midland Basin (Upton and Dawson counties, TX) |
| Apache Corporation | APA (Apache) | Midland Basin (Upton and Dawson counties, TX) |
| Avant Natural Resources | Avant Operating | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM) |
| Avant Operating LLC | Avant Operating | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM) |
| Blackbeard Operating LLC | Blackbeard Operating | Central Basin Platform (Crane County, TX) |
| Burlington Resources | ConocoPhillips | Delaware Basin (Loving County, TX; Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin (Upton County, TX) |
| Centennial Resource Development | Permian Resources | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM; Reeves and Ward counties, TX) |
| Chevron USA Inc. | Chevron | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin, TX |
| Cimarex Energy | Coterra Energy | Delaware Basin (Culberson County, TX; Lea and Eddy counties, NM) |
| Civitas Resources | Civitas Resources | Midland Basin (Glasscock County, TX) and Delaware Basin (Lea County, NM) |
| Civitas Resources | Tap Rock Operating | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) |
| Colgate Energy | Permian Resources | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM; Reeves and Ward counties, TX) |
| Concho Resources | ConocoPhillips | Delaware Basin (Loving County, TX; Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin (Upton County, TX) |
| ConocoPhillips Company | ConocoPhillips | Delaware Basin (Loving County, TX; Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin (Upton County, TX) |
| Continental Resources, Inc. | Continental Resources | Delaware Basin and Midland Basin (Winkler, Pecos, Glasscock, Ector counties, TX) |
| Coterra Energy | Coterra Energy | Delaware Basin (Culberson County, TX; Lea and Eddy counties, NM) |
| Devon Energy Production Company | Devon Energy | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) |
| Diamondback E&P LLC | Diamondback Energy | Midland Basin core (Midland, Martin, Howard, Ector, Andrews counties) |
| Encana Oil & Gas | Ovintiv | Midland Basin (Upton and Howard counties, TX) |
| Endeavor Energy Resources | Diamondback Energy | Midland Basin core (Midland, Martin, Howard, Ector, Andrews counties) |
| EOG Resources, Inc. | EOG Resources | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM; Loving and Reeves counties, TX) |
| Exxon Mobil Corporation | ExxonMobil | Midland Basin (Midland, Martin, Upton, Glasscock counties) and Delaware Basin (Eddy County, NM) |
| Fasken Oil and Ranch, Ltd. | Fasken Oil and Ranch | Central Basin Platform (Andrews County, TX) |
| Firebird Energy II LLC | Firebird Energy | Midland Basin (Upton and Borden counties, TX) |
| Founders Oil & Gas | Ring Energy | Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf (Crane, Andrews, Yoakum counties, TX) |
| Hibernia Energy | Civitas Resources | Midland Basin (Glasscock County, TX) and Delaware Basin (Lea County, NM) |
| Matador Production Company | Matador Resources | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM) |
| Matador Resources Company | Matador Resources | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM) |
| Mewbourne Oil Company | Mewbourne Oil | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) |
| Newfield Exploration | Ovintiv | Midland Basin (Upton and Howard counties, TX) |
| Noble Energy | Chevron | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin, TX |
| Occidental Permian | Occidental Petroleum | Delaware Basin, Midland Basin, and Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf CO2 EOR (Gaines, Yoakum counties) |
| Ovintiv USA Inc. | Ovintiv | Midland Basin (Upton and Howard counties, TX) |
| OXY USA Inc. | Occidental Petroleum | Delaware Basin, Midland Basin, and Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf CO2 EOR (Gaines, Yoakum counties) |
| Permian Resources Operating LLC | Permian Resources | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM; Reeves and Ward counties, TX) |
| Pioneer Natural Resources | ExxonMobil | Midland Basin (Midland, Martin, Upton, Glasscock counties) and Delaware Basin (Eddy County, NM) |
| Ring Energy, Inc. | Ring Energy | Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf (Crane, Andrews, Yoakum counties, TX) |
| Spur Energy Partners LLC | Spur Energy Partners | Delaware Basin / NW Shelf (Eddy County, NM) |
| Stronghold Energy | Ring Energy | Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf (Crane, Andrews, Yoakum counties, TX) |
| Tap Rock Operating LLC | Tap Rock Operating | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) |
| Tap Rock Resources | Civitas Resources | Midland Basin (Glasscock County, TX) and Delaware Basin (Lea County, NM) |
| Tap Rock Resources | Tap Rock Operating | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) |
| Texaco | Chevron | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin, TX |
| Vencer Energy | Civitas Resources | Midland Basin (Glasscock County, TX) and Delaware Basin (Lea County, NM) |
| XTO Energy | ExxonMobil | Midland Basin (Midland, Martin, Upton, Glasscock counties) and Delaware Basin (Eddy County, NM) |
Operator and payor relationships reflect public regulatory filings and company disclosures as of June 13, 2026; payor names can change as assets are bought and sold. American Royalty Buyers is independent and not affiliated with any operator listed. See all Permian operator profiles → · Most active operators →
This index covers the most active Permian Basin operators and the names they commonly pay under, but many smaller operators and one-off payors aren't listed. Your division order and your most recent check stub are always the most reliable place to confirm your operator. If you'd like help identifying who operates your minerals — and what your interest may be worth — ARB will review your check stub or division order and provide a free, no-obligation valuation with no fee to you.
Operators frequently pay royalties through subsidiaries or keep paying under an acquired company's legacy name after a merger. For example, royalties on ExxonMobil-operated wells may arrive under "XTO Energy" or "Pioneer Natural Resources." The payor on your check stub is the paying entity; the operator of record is the company actually running the wells. The payor-name index on this page connects the two.
The payor is the company that issues your royalty payment and remits the production proceeds. It is often the operator, but after acquisitions it can be a subsidiary or a legacy company name. Your check stub, division order, and 1099 identify the payor.
Start with your royalty check stub and division order, which name the payor and operator. Confirm with your lease and recorded assignments, then verify against the state regulator — the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) or New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD). The payor-name index on this page maps common payor names to the operators that run the wells.
A division order is a document from the operator or payor confirming your decimal interest in production from a specific well or unit, used to authorize royalty payments. It identifies the operator, the property, and your share, and is one of the most useful documents for identifying who operates your minerals.
It can. Active development by a well-capitalized operator is one of the strongest drivers of mineral and royalty value. Knowing your operator — and how active it is in your county — helps you understand your interest. ARB maintains dated profiles of the most active Permian operators and provides a free, no-obligation valuation of your interest.