260 wells across 154 active operators, with 0 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months.
Refreshed monthly from CalGEM well-header records. Data current as of 2026-08-16.
Quick answer: The Mojave Basin formation in California has 260 wells on record across 154 active operators, with 0 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-16). Its most active operators by well count are Optima Conservation Resources Exploration, Stone Cabin Resources, Padre Oil Company, Polaris Production and Chevron. Compiled from California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Mojave Basin formation in California:
| # | Operator | Wells in Mojave Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optima Conservation Resources Exploration | 16 |
| 2 | Stone Cabin Resources | 13 |
| 3 | Padre Oil Company | 11 |
| 4 | Polaris Production | 9 |
| 5 | Chevron | 6 |
| 6 | Casex Company | 6 |
| 7 | L H Scott | 4 |
| 8 | Mobil Oil | 4 |
| 9 | Charles C Carrillo & Chris B Pedersen | 4 |
| 10 | The Major Oil | 4 |
The California counties with the most Mojave Basin activity:
San Bernardino, Riverside
The Mojave Basin is one of California's active oil and gas plays, with 260 wells on file across 154 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Mojave Basin in the last 24 months — a measure of how active the play is right now versus its historical baseline.
For mineral owners with interests in San Bernardino, Riverside, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Mojave Basin footprint is a foundational valuation question. Active formations with consistent permit flow command premium pricing; legacy formations with steady but declining production are valued differently.
See all California oil & gas formations & plays · Download the California formations dataset (CSV)
260 wells target the Mojave Basin in California, worked by 154 active operators, per CalGEM well-header records (as of 2026-08-16).
By well count, the most active Mojave Basin operators in California are Optima Conservation Resources Exploration, Stone Cabin Resources, Padre Oil Company, Polaris Production and Chevron. The full ranking is in the table on this page.
Operators filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Mojave Basin in the last 24 months — a live measure of current activity, per CalGEM records.
Operators filed 0 new drilling permits targeting the Mojave Basin in California over the last 24 months. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Mojave Basin drilling, per CalGEM records (as of 2026-08-16).
Mojave Basin activity in California currently spans 260 wells on record and 154 active operators, led by Optima Conservation Resources Exploration, Stone Cabin Resources, Padre Oil Company, Polaris Production and Chevron, with 0 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months — refreshed monthly from California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) well-header records (as of 2026-08-16).
The most active Mojave Basin counties in California are San Bernardino, Riverside.
Value depends on your net mineral acres or royalty decimal, the operator, the remaining drilling locations, and current oil and gas prices. Buckhead Energy checks your tract against current Mojave Basin well and permit data and puts a free, no-obligation written offer in writing — this page is informational only, not a valuation.
Cite this dataset
Permanently archived and citable via a DOI on Zenodo (CERN), under a CC BY 4.0 license. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21442884 · View on Zenodo
License & attribution: This data is licensed CC BY 4.0. You are free to share and adapt it, including commercially, provided you credit “Buckhead Energy” and link back to this page or the DOI above.
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Sell Your California Mineral Rights
Formation: Mojave Basin
State: California
Total wells: 260
Active operators: 154
Permits 24mo: 0
Last refresh: 2026-08-16
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