Midland, Pfluger Challenge FAA Control Over Local Mineral Rights

MIDLAND, TX — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Midland Mayor Lori Blong held a press conference this week to discuss an ongoing mineral rights issue negatively impacting the city of Midland and its taxpayers, outline a plan to address it, and take questions from members of the media. 

Read Rep. Pfluger's remarks, in part, from the press conference as delivered, outlining the mineral rights problem and making a call to action to fix it:

"Over the next several years, the city of Midland stands to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in mineral revenues for oil and gas production beneath Midland Airpark, and it's only right that those dollars benefit the taxpayers who live here, and that they don't get tied up into a maze of federal rules and red tape. Midland taxpayers should be the ones who benefit from what's beneath their feet, because it's in this community, it's in their land. It's in their hard work that's driving that success, that very success below the Airpark. And the royalties that are produced there represent a rare opportunity to fund critical upgrades to public infrastructure without raising taxes or taking on debt. Roads, drainage systems, water systems, public safety, anything that the city community needs stands to benefit from what's underneath the Midland Airpark. 

The mayor, Mayor Blong, and her team, and the city council are the ones that brought this to my attention, and they're absolutely right to fight for a fair deal. A little bit of background on this issue: In 2012, in a statute of the FAA Reauthorization Act, there was a law that was passed that then authorized the FAA to take on royalties underneath airports, underneath the city airports as well. We just don't think this is a fair way to deal. 

We've been in constant communication with the Department of Transportation. They are definitely listening and want to be a part of the solution. But this was a law that was passed under President Obama. And so, as we look at what fairness is, I believe that what's produced in Midland needs to stay in Midland, quite frankly. What is produced in Midland needs to stay in Midland. And the FAA has been willing to engage with us. Secretary Duffy and his team have been in constant communication since we brought this up months ago, after the transition from President Biden to President Trump. They've kept good lines of communication open, and they showed an interest in finding a workable path. 

But the law as it stands still leaves the city's hands tied right now, and that's why we're pursuing the fix. I applaud Mayor Blong for bringing this up and highlighting the benefits for this local community. Texas law is pretty clear that if you own the surface, then you own the minerals, and what is produced in those minerals goes to the owner of those lands. That's exactly what the case is here with the Airpark, and that's what we're trying to address. 

So at the end of the day, this really is about fairness. This is about local control. This is about delivering to Midland what is rightfully the city of Midland's, and communities just like this shouldn't have to choose between federal funding for the FAA and the airport and things that the FAA is doing, or mineral rights, and that's exactly what we're committed to doing. 

So what does a solution look like? We're working on that. We're working with the Department of Transportation, with Secretary Duffy, to make sure that we know what avenues we can take to right this ship and to deliver back what is rightfully Midland's. So again, I want to thank you for being here, for covering this very important topic. 

When I was elected, I committed myself to standing up for American energy, to standing up for energy dominance. I've done just that. This is another chapter in that book. It's another chapter of making sure that the technology, the innovation, the hard work, and the pioneering spirit that is the heart and soul of what the Permian Basin is, and especially in Midland, Texas, stays here."