[Bette]

As the city of Fort Worth and Texas Motor Speedway officials negotiate over who controls the mineral rights under and around the huge racetrack in far north Fort Worth, no such controversy exists regarding the new Dallas Cowboys stadium under construction in Arlington.
When the city of Arlington purchased close to 200 acres for the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, they also bought the mineral rights for the land. According to city officials, the existing landowners could not retain the mineral rights because the city needed to have full control of the property for “surface access.”
In the 60-plus page lease agreement between the NFL team and the city, the phrase “mineral rights” doesn’t appear. Although the team has the option to purchase the stadium and the land in 30 years, Arlington holds the mineral rights right now.
“We have leased the new stadium to the Cowboys to be used as a stadium, not anything else,” said Trey Yelverton, Arlington deputy city manager. He added there are no immediate plans to drill on the Cowboys stadium site.
The Cowboys don’t dispute the city’s ownership of the mineral rights. Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels said it is city-owned land and the team has not contemplated who would own the mineral rights if the team decides to exercise its option to purchase the stadium in 30 years.
Star-Telegram.com: | 11/14/2007 | No dispute: city owns gas beneath new Cowboys stadium