10,681 wells across 815 recorded operators, with 290 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 Sacramento Basin formation in California has 10,681 wells on record across 815 recorded operators, with 290 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are California Resources Production, Chevron, Atlantic Oil Company, Amerada Hess and Capitol Oil. 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 Sacramento Basin formation in California:
| # | Operator | Wells in Sacramento Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Resources Production | 1,863 |
| 2 | Chevron | 755 |
| 3 | Atlantic Oil Company | 316 |
| 4 | Amerada Hess | 260 |
| 5 | Capitol Oil | 217 |
| 6 | Shell Oil Company | 174 |
| 7 | Phillips Petroleum Company | 166 |
| 8 | Exxon Mobil | 164 |
| 9 | Pacific Gas & Electric Company | 162 |
| 10 | Rosetta Resources Operating | 157 |
The California counties with the most Sacramento Basin activity:
Solano, Yolo, Colusa, Glenn, San Joaquin
Drilling permits in California each year, the Sacramento Basin count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Sacramento Basin permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,510 | 120 | 4.8% | 509 ft |
| 2025 | 5,530 | 163 | 2.9% | 290 ft |
| 2024 | 5,346 | 130 | 2.4% | 398 ft |
| 2023 | 940 | 17 | 1.8% | n<5 |
| 2022 | 757 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2021 | 130 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2020 | 1,825 | 3 | 0.2% | n<5 |
| 2019 | 2,587 | 7 | 0.3% | n<5 |
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 Sacramento Basin is a formation/play group recorded in California, with 10,681 wells on file across 815 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 290 drilling permits targeting the Sacramento Basin 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.
10,681 wells target the Sacramento Basin in California, worked by 815 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
The Sacramento Basin operators with the most wells on record in California are California Resources Production, Chevron, Atlantic Oil Company, Amerada Hess and Capitol Oil. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Operators filed 290 drilling permits targeting the Sacramento Basin 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 290 new drilling permits targeting the Sacramento Basin 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.
Sacramento Basin activity in California includes 10,681 wells on record and 815 recorded operators, with 290 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 Sacramento Basin in California are Solano, Yolo, Colusa, Glenn, San Joaquin. 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: Sacramento Basin
State: California
Total wells: 10,681
Recorded operators: 815
Permits 24mo: 290
Summary date: 2026-10-02
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