Editor's note: This is the third in an ongoing series looking at the Crossroads region's top taxpayers.

A quick look at DeWitt County's top taxpayers makes one thing clear: The oil boom has a hold on the Texas Crossroads.

Geo Southern Energy Corp., a private business headquartered in The Woodlands, topped the list with its $288,197,270 in taxable value. Still, it was among friends.

The other nine entries all related to the industry.

Randall Malik, executive director of the Cuero Development Corp., said the growing industry has meant big changes countywide.

More than 1,000 new jobs have joined the mix since Eagle Ford Shale drilling began, he said, while the unemployment rate is down to 4.5 percent.

Although no one knew exactly how long the boom would continue, he said he took it as a positive sign that companies such as Pioneer Natural Resources, Geo Southern and BHP continued making investments in the region.

"It certainly signals it will be a long-term play," he said. "I think we'll continue to see a positive uptick in businesses."

Here is a closer look at the county's major taxpayers, and what they're bringing in.

DeWitt County's top 10 taxpayers - mineral rights

1. Geo Southern Energy Corp.

$288,197,270

Oil and gas production

Headquartered in The Woodlands

1. Burlington Resources Oil and Gas

$152,611,690• Oil and gas production

• Owned by Conocophillips, which is headquartered in Houston

1. Pioneer Natural Resources

$108,736,810• Oil and gas production

• Headquartered in Irving

1. Helmerich & Payne International Drill

$104,000,000• Oil and gas drilling

• Headquartered Tulsa, Okla.

1. Eagle Hawk Field Services*

$56,130,330• Oil field service

• Joint venture between Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, headquartered in Houston, and a subsidiary of BHP Billiton, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia

1. Precision Drilling Oilfield

$31,280,000• Oil field drilling and services

• Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

1. Eagle Hawk Field Services*

$27,492,840• Oil field service

• Joint venture between Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, headquartered in Houston, and a subsidiary of BHP Billiton, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

1. Enterprise Texas Pipeline

$25,086,590• Midstream energy company

• Headquartered in Houston

1. Nabors Drilling USA

$23,055,200• Oil and gas production

• Headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda

1. Enterprise Hydrocarbons

$24,320,750• Midstream energy company

• Headquartered in Houston

*Eagle Hawk Field Services is listed twice on the list, and in both occasions, the valuation relates to the company's personal property, said Susie Dreyer, DeWitt County tax assessor-collector. The company is a subsidiary of BHP Billiton, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia

Sources: Susie Dreyer, DeWitt County tax assessor-collector, Rick Rainey, spokesman for Enterprise Products, BHP Billiton website, Businesswire.com, ConocoPhillips website, DeWitt County Appraisal District website, Enterprise Products website, Helmerich & Payne website, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners website, Nabors Drilling website, Pioneer Natural Resources website, Precision Drilling website, Texas Railroad Commission website

DeWitt County's top 10 taxpayers - real property

1. Pete and Patricia Dlugosch

$1,071,810• Farm-to-Market Road 237, Yorktown

1. Alfred Friar/Friar-Thomas Ranch

$497,850• Terrell Street, Cuero

1. Edward L. Keseling

$479,000• River Road, Cuero

1. Harvey H. Mueller

$404,160• Garfield Road, Yorktown

1. CV and SV Investments Limited

$367,530• Conroe

1. Lackey Land Limited

$349,700• State Highway 119, Yorktown

1. Jamie B. Musselman

$250,600• Verhelle Road, Cuero

1. Jeannette B. Duderstadt

$233,560• Frederick Williams St., Cuero

1. Blake Muir

$182,950• Farm-to-Market Road 766, Cuero

1. Frances Keseling

$166,070• River Road, Cuero

Sources: Susie Dreyer, DeWitt County tax assessor-collector, DeWitt County Appraisal District website

• To search for information on these and other DeWitt County businesses, visit the appraisal district website at http://www.dewittcad.org.