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Colorado Oil & Gas Industry Snapshot 2026

The complete live dashboard of the Colorado oil and gas industry — top operators, hottest counties, most-active formations (SCOOP, STACK, Woodford, Mississippi Lime, Cherokee Platform), current permit pipeline, DUC stack, recent rig activity, and newly producing wells. Refreshed monthly from OCC well-header records.

Data as of June 14, 2026 Source: Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission · refreshed monthly

Original Data As of June 14, 2026

As of June 14, 2026, Colorado had 100 active oil & gas operators across 51 counties and 24 formations, led by Noble Energy with 10,444 wells, with 16 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months and 46 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) wells in inventory, per Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission records.

100
Active operators
51
Producing counties
16
Permits filed (last 24 mo)
46
DUC wells in inventory
Source: Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) well and permit records
Methodology: Aggregated from Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission records: operators ranked by well count; counties and formations (SCOOP, STACK, Woodford, etc.) by activity; drilling permits over a trailing 24-month window; and current DUC (drilled-but-uncompleted) inventory.
Updated: Refreshed monthly — data current as of June 14, 2026
Total Wells (Top 100 Operators)
91,327
Recent Permits
16
last 24 months
DUC Inventory
46
drilled, uncompleted
Recent Spuds
24
last 90 days
New Producers
117
first prod in last 6 months
Active Counties
51
Active Formations
24
Operators Tracked
100

Top 10 Colorado Operators

The 10 largest operators of record in Colorado, by total well count. See the full top-100 leaderboard →

#OperatorWellsPermits 24moDUCsTop FormationTop County
1 Noble Energy 10,444 144 223 Muddy J Sand Weld
2 Kerrmcgee 9,769 288 127 Muddy J Sand Weld
3 Tep Rocky Mountain 9,018 40 139 Mesaverde Garfield
4 Pdc Energy 8,530 165 287 Muddy J Sand Weld
5 Qb Energy Operating LLC 6,118 55 166 Mesaverde Garfield
6 Own Resources Operating 3,445 0 50 Niobrara East Yuma
7 Evergreen Natural Resources LLC 2,504 0 52 Pierre -Niobrara Las Animas
8 Crestone Peak Resources Operating 2,416 83 50 Muddy J Sand Weld
9 Laramie Energy 2,260 22 45 Mesaverde Mesa
10 Simcoe LLC 1,701 3 161 Dakota La Plata

Top 10 Colorado Counties (by Drilling Activity)

The 10 most-active oil and gas counties in Colorado. See the full county rankings →

CountyTotal WellsPermits 24moSpuds 90dDUCsTop OperatorTop Formation
Weld 46,536 1,018 17 2,789 Noble Energy Muddy J Sand
Garfield 17,405 42 2 475 Tep Rocky Mountain Mesaverde
Rio Blanco 7,521 69 6 311 Scout Energy Management Piceance Basin
Yuma 6,239 0 0 1,115 Own Resources Operating Niobrara East
Washington 5,806 7 0 4,467 Padco D Sand
La Plata 5,330 28 0 512 Simcoe LLC Dakota
Adams 5,131 116 0 1,843 Pdc Energy Muddy J Sand
Las Animas 4,048 15 0 251 Evergreen Natural Resources LLC Pierre -Niobrara
Logan 3,926 0 0 3,043 British American Oil Production Company D Sand
Morgan 3,040 0 0 2,207 Pcr Operating D Sand

Top 10 Colorado Formations & Plays

The 10 most-active formations and plays in Colorado. See all active Colorado formations →

FormationWellsActive OperatorsPermits 24mo
Muddy J Sand 52,469 1,352 239
D Sand 14,078 1,343 0
Niobrara East 6,708 229 0
Piceance Basin 4,400 394 118
Pierre -Niobrara 4,208 126 0
Denver Basin 3,658 334 1,036
Las Animas Arch 3,450 435 11
Dakota 2,350 92 0
Mancos-Dakota 2,118 155 0
San Juan Basin 1,825 248 32

Latest 10 Drilling Permits

Permit DateWellAPICountyFormationOperator
2026-03-24 Skr 698-10bv-770 05045246140000 Garfield Piceance Basin Chevron
2026-03-24 Skr 698-10bv-755 05045246130000 Garfield Piceance Basin Chevron
2026-01-21 Mutual 0780 8-8h 05057065710000 Jackson Niobrara Fm Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC
2026-01-21 Mutual 0780 6-8h 05057065700000 Jackson Niobrara Fm Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC
2026-01-21 Mutual 0780 5-8h 05057065680000 Jackson Niobrara Fm Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC
2025-11-21 Allison Unit 614h 05067100680000 La Plata San Juan Basin Hilcorp Energy Company
2025-11-03 Janet 0780 7s-4h9 05057066460000 Jackson North Park Basin Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC
2025-11-03 Janet 0780 8s-4h9 05057066450000 Jackson North Park Basin Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC
2025-10-20 Alcorn 0880 2-10 Swd 05057066490000 Jackson North Park Basin Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC
2025-10-20 Alcorn 0880 3-10d Swd 05057066480000 Jackson North Park Basin Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC
View all recent Colorado permits →

Latest 10 Spudded Wells

Spud DateDays AgoWellOperatorCountyFormation
2026-05-29 16 Chinook E26-680 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-29 16 Skr 698-10bv-770 Chevron Garfield Piceance Basin
2026-05-15 30 Skr 698-10bv-755 Chevron Garfield Piceance Basin
2026-05-15 30 Critter Creek 14 11-63 14-35-1 Bison Iv Operating LLC Weld Muddy J Sand
2026-05-15 30 Chinook E26-660 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-08 37 Chinook E26-645 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-08 37 Buckskin Le02-02u Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-01 44 Chinook E26-635 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-04-24 51 Rnpu Fed H28 197 28-197-10 Qb Energy Operating LLC Rio Blanco Piceance Basin
2026-04-24 51 Buckskin Le02-22 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
View all recently spudded Colorado wells →

Latest 10 Newly Producing Wells

First ProdDays ProducingWellOperatorCountyFormation
2026-02-01 133 Pronghorn K-5 Fed 32n-20-01 Bonanza Creek Energy Operating Company Weld Muddy J Sand
2026-02-01 133 Coalson A4-675 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-02-01 133 Kelton Wgv 511-27-697 Tep Rocky Mountain Garfield Piceance Basin
2026-02-01 133 Rainbow 9-20hzr Kerrmcgee Weld Denver Basin
2026-02-01 133 Kelton Wgv 512-27-697 Tep Rocky Mountain Garfield Piceance Basin
2026-02-01 133 Bona State 10c Pdc Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-02-01 133 Little Lady 21 S Fed 11-64 21-10-3 Bison Iv Operating LLC Weld Muddy J Sand
2026-02-01 133 T-Bone 22n-20-07 Extraction Oil & Gas Weld Denver Basin
2026-02-01 133 Capitol 03n Pdc Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-02-01 133 T-Bone 22n-20-08 Extraction Oil & Gas Weld Denver Basin
View all newly producing Colorado wells →

10 Most-Recent Colorado DUCs

Spud DateDays WaitingWellOperatorCountyFormation
2026-05-29 16 Chinook E26-680 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-29 16 Skr 698-10bv-770 Chevron Garfield Piceance Basin
2026-05-15 30 Critter Creek 14 11-63 14-35-1 Bison Iv Operating LLC Weld Muddy J Sand
2026-05-15 30 Chinook E26-660 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-15 30 Skr 698-10bv-755 Chevron Garfield Piceance Basin
2026-05-08 37 Buckskin Le02-02u Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-08 37 Chinook E26-645 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-05-01 44 Chinook E26-635 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
2026-04-24 51 Rnpu Fed H28 197 28-197-10 Qb Energy Operating LLC Rio Blanco Piceance Basin
2026-04-24 51 Chinook E28-670 Noble Energy Weld Denver Basin
View the full Colorado DUC inventory →

Own Colorado Mineral Rights?

SCOOP, STACK, Cherokee Platform, Mississippi Lime, or anywhere else in the state — get a free written offer based on your specific tract and current operator activity.

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About This Dashboard

Source: Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission well-header and production filings.

Refresh cadence: Monthly. Data current as of June 14, 2026.

What's tracked: Permits filed in the last 24 months, wells spudded in the last 90 days, wells with first production in the last 6 months, drilled-uncompleted (DUC) wells, top operators by total well count, top counties by activity, and active formations/plays.

Disclaimer: Data is provided as a public-service reference. Buckhead Energy is not affiliated with the operators listed unless explicitly stated.

Colorado Oil & Gas Snapshot FAQ

Who are the largest oil and gas operators in Colorado?

As of June 14, 2026, this dashboard tracks 100 active Colorado operators ranked by well count, led by Noble Energy, Kerrmcgee, Tep Rocky Mountain. See the Top Colorado Operators leaderboard for the full ranking.

How many drilling permits have been filed in Colorado recently?

About 16 Colorado drilling permits were filed in the trailing 24 months, per Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission records (as of June 14, 2026).

What is a DUC well, and how many are there in Colorado?

A DUC is a "drilled but uncompleted" well — drilled but not yet hydraulically fractured or put on production. As of June 14, 2026, Colorado had about 46 DUC wells in inventory. DUCs are a leading indicator of near-term completion and production activity.

Which plays and formations drive Colorado oil and gas activity?

Colorado activity centers on the DJ Basin (Wattenberg) on the northern Front Range and the Piceance Basin on the Western Slope, among roughly 24 active formations across 51 counties, aggregated from Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission records.

How often is this Colorado oil and gas snapshot updated?

It is refreshed monthly from Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission well and permit records. The current data is as of June 14, 2026.

I own Colorado mineral rights — how do I find my operator and what they are worth?

Look up your operator in the operator directory to see their activity, then request a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, formation, and decimal interest.

Quick Stats

State: Colorado

Operators: 100

Counties: 51

Formations: 24

Permits 24mo: 16

DUCs: 46

Data as of: June 14, 2026

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