46,412 wells across 3,223 recorded operators, with 846 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at summary refresh.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Quick answer: The Monterey formation in California has 46,412 wells on record across 3,223 recorded operators, with 846 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Chevron, Tidelands Oil Production Company, Aera Energy, California Resources Production and Union Oil Company Of California. Source: Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Monterey formation in California:
| # | Operator | Wells in Monterey |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | 4,968 |
| 2 | Tidelands Oil Production Company | 3,825 |
| 3 | Aera Energy | 2,634 |
| 4 | California Resources Production | 2,209 |
| 5 | Union Oil Company Of California | 1,931 |
| 6 | Calnrg Operating LLC | 1,919 |
| 7 | Thums Long Beach Company | 1,893 |
| 8 | Sentinel Peak Resources Ca | 1,657 |
| 9 | Exxon Mobil | 1,310 |
| 10 | Union Pacific Resources Company | 898 |
The California counties with the most Monterey activity:
Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles Offshore
Drilling permits in California each year, the Monterey count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Monterey permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,510 | 283 | 11.3% | 609 ft |
| 2025 | 5,530 | 489 | 8.8% | 615 ft |
| 2024 | 5,346 | 278 | 5.2% | 585 ft |
| 2023 | 940 | 47 | 5% | 1,036 ft |
| 2022 | 757 | 15 | 2% | n<5 |
| 2021 | 130 | 21 | 16.2% | n<5 |
| 2020 | 1,825 | 34 | 1.9% | n<5 |
| 2019 | 2,587 | 393 | 15.2% | 620 ft |
Share of each year’s California drilling permits by target formation, for the formations with the most permits.
| Year | Monterey-Temblor | San Joaquin Basin | Monterey | Coastal Basins | Sacramento Basin | Los Angeles Basin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31% | 39.9% | 11.3% | 8.5% | 4.8% | 2.2% |
| 2025 | 49% | 33.7% | 8.8% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| 2024 | 50.9% | 36.8% | 5.2% | 0.8% | 2.4% | 1.8% |
| 2023 | 33.7% | 55.1% | 5% | 0.3% | 1.8% | 2.8% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | 81.5% | 2% | 3.8% | — | 3.8% |
| 2021 | 50.8% | 30.8% | 16.2% | 2.3% | — | — |
| 2020 | 71.1% | 24.9% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 40% | 40% | 15.2% | 2.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Buckhead Energy computes every figure on this page from grouped records in public oil and gas data. The page shows counts, sums, percentiles and indexes only; it does not list individual wells, leases or permits.
Counts under 3 wells and percentiles under 5 wells are withheld; totals are floors.
Share is the formation’s permits as a percent of the state’s permits that year. Median lateral length is published only when at least 5 permits stand behind it.
Last computed: 2026-10-02. These figures are informational only and are not a valuation of any mineral or royalty interest.
The Monterey is a formation/play group recorded in California, with 46,412 wells on file across 3,223 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 846 drilling permits targeting the Monterey in the 24-month window at summary refresh. These are stored records, not a live measure of drilling.
Recorded formation activity provides regional context. It does not establish ownership, future production, royalty payments or a value for an individual tract. Consult qualified professionals about your specific interest.
46,412 wells target the Monterey in California, worked by 3,223 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
The Monterey operators with the most wells on record in California are Chevron, Tidelands Oil Production Company, Aera Energy, California Resources Production and Union Oil Company Of California. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Operators filed 846 drilling permits targeting the Monterey in the 24-month window at source refresh, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Operators filed 846 new drilling permits targeting the Monterey in California in the 24-month window at source refresh. New permits and spuds record reported activity stages; they do not establish ongoing drilling, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Monterey activity in California includes 46,412 wells on record and 3,223 recorded operators, with 846 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh — from Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
The primary counties recorded for Monterey in California are Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles Offshore. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Value depends on your net mineral acres or royalty decimal, the operator, the remaining drilling locations, and current oil and gas prices. This page is informational only, not a valuation. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
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Formation: Monterey
State: California
Total wells: 46,412
Recorded operators: 3,223
Permits 24mo: 846
Summary date: 2026-10-02
