Texas Natural Resources Code - NAT RES § 52.152. Approval of Agreements

(a) An agreement must be approved by the board and executed by the commissioner to be effective if the agreement commits:

(b) An owner of the soil who is subject to Subchapter F   1 of this chapter may grant to a lessee prior authority to pool or unitize the interest of the owner in a lease executed under that subchapter.  For the provisions of an agreement to bind the interest of an owner of the soil who is subject to Subchapter F of this chapter and who has not granted the lessee prior authorization to pool or unitize the owner's interest in an oil and gas lease executed under that subchapter, the agreement must be executed by the owner of the soil.

(c) An agreement that commits any interest in any land not listed in Subsection (a) of this section must be approved by the board, official, agent, agency, or authority of the state which has the authority to lease or to approve the lease of the land for oil and gas and must be executed by the commissioner to be effective.