The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the rectangular land-survey grid used across most of the United States to describe land by township, range, and section — dividing land into six-mile-square townships, each split into thirty-six one-square-mile (640-acre) sections, further divided into aliquot parts — and it is the framework behind most mineral legal descriptions outside a few states like Texas.
When a mineral deed describes your land as something like "the NW/4 of Section 12, Township 5 North, Range 3 West," it is using the Public Land Survey System — the rectangular grid that most of the country is surveyed and described by. Understanding the grid is how you turn that string of abbreviations into an actual location and acreage.
The PLSS was established to survey the public lands as the country expanded, and it now underlies the legal descriptions, spacing units, and title records across most oil and gas states.
The grid is built from a few pieces. Townships and ranges locate a six-mile-by-six-mile square: township lines run north–south from a baseline (Township 5 North = the fifth tier north of the baseline), and range lines run east–west from a principal meridian (Range 3 West = the third column west of the meridian). That 36-square-mile block is a township.
Each township is divided into 36 sections, numbered 1–36 in a boustrophedon ("snake") pattern. A section is one square mile — 640 acres. Sections are then split into aliquot parts: a quarter section (NW/4) is 160 acres, a quarter-quarter (NW/4 of the SE/4) is 40 acres, and so on. So "the NE/4 SW/4 of Section 12" is a specific 40-acre square you can find on the grid.
Reading a PLSS description is just decoding the pieces from the smallest unit outward: the aliquot part (which corner), the section (1–36), and the township and range (which square on the grid), all tied to a named principal meridian. The acreage follows from the aliquot parts — halves, quarters, and quarter-quarters of 640. This is how mineral owners confirm exactly which ground a deed covers and how net mineral acres are calculated.
Section lines also frequently define spacing units — a 640-acre section is a common horizontal well unit — so the same grid that describes your land often frames how a well's production is shared.
Not everywhere uses the PLSS. Notably Texas (which was never federal public land) describes land by abstracts and original surveys — leagues, labors, and metes-and-bounds tied to named surveys and abstract numbers — rather than township-range-section. The original thirteen colonies and a few other areas also use metes-and-bounds. So a Texas mineral description reads very differently from an Oklahoma or North Dakota one.
Knowing which system your minerals fall under is the first step to reading their legal description. Buckhead Energy works in both the PLSS and the Texas abstract systems when confirming what an interest covers. This page is educational information, not legal advice.
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Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation.
The rectangular land-survey grid used across most of the United States to describe land by township, range, and section. It divides land into six-mile-square townships, each split into thirty-six one-square-mile (640-acre) sections, further divided into aliquot parts. Most mineral legal descriptions outside Texas use it.
Decode from the smallest unit outward: the aliquot part (which corner, e.g. NW/4), the section (numbered 1–36), and the township and range that locate the six-mile square on the grid, tied to a principal meridian. "NE/4 SW/4 of Section 12" is a specific 40-acre square.
A section is one square mile — 640 acres. A quarter section (like the NW/4) is 160 acres, and a quarter-quarter (the NW/4 of the SE/4) is 40 acres. Aliquot parts are just halves and quarters of 640.
A six-mile-by-six-mile square located by township lines (north–south from a baseline) and range lines (east–west from a principal meridian). Each township contains 36 one-square-mile sections numbered 1–36.
Because Texas was never federal public land, so it was never surveyed under the PLSS. Texas describes land by abstracts and original surveys — leagues, labors, and metes-and-bounds tied to named surveys and abstract numbers — so its mineral descriptions read very differently from PLSS states.
Yes — Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer of mineral, royalty, NPRI, and ORRI interests across the United States, producing or non-producing. Buckhead Energy makes a free written offer, pays the title and closing costs, and charges no broker commission.
Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests across all 50 states and has completed acquisitions in 33 states. Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer, not a broker — we purchase mineral and royalty interests with our own capital. Buckhead Energy has been buying mineral and royalty interests since 2006. Buckhead Energy holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
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