75,982 wells across 2,644 recorded operators, with 3,454 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 San Joaquin Basin formation in California has 75,982 wells on record across 2,644 recorded operators, with 3,454 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Chevron, Aera Energy, California Resources Production, E & B Natural Resources Management and Sentinel Peak Resources Ca. 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 San Joaquin Basin formation in California:
| # | Operator | Wells in San Joaquin Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | 34,513 |
| 2 | Aera Energy | 8,892 |
| 3 | California Resources Production | 5,602 |
| 4 | E & B Natural Resources Management | 3,032 |
| 5 | Sentinel Peak Resources Ca | 2,824 |
| 6 | Macpherson Oil Company | 1,236 |
| 7 | Berry Petroleum Company | 1,175 |
| 8 | Shell Oil Company | 537 |
| 9 | Bellaire Oil Company | 535 |
| 10 | Hunter Edison Oil Development LTD | 525 |
The California counties with the most San Joaquin Basin activity:
Kern, Fresno, Tulare, San Benito, Madera
Drilling permits in California each year, the San Joaquin Basin count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those San Joaquin Basin permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,510 | 1,002 | 39.9% | 1,732 ft |
| 2025 | 5,530 | 1,861 | 33.7% | 1,375 ft |
| 2024 | 5,346 | 1,969 | 36.8% | 1,573 ft |
| 2023 | 940 | 518 | 55.1% | 1,714 ft |
| 2022 | 757 | 617 | 81.5% | 1,380 ft |
| 2021 | 130 | 40 | 30.8% | n<5 |
| 2020 | 1,825 | 455 | 24.9% | 1,128 ft |
| 2019 | 2,587 | 1,036 | 40% | 1,720 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 San Joaquin Basin is a formation/play group recorded in California, with 75,982 wells on file across 2,644 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 3,454 drilling permits targeting the San Joaquin 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.
75,982 wells target the San Joaquin Basin in California, worked by 2,644 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
The San Joaquin Basin operators with the most wells on record in California are Chevron, Aera Energy, California Resources Production, E & B Natural Resources Management and Sentinel Peak Resources Ca. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Operators filed 3,454 drilling permits targeting the San Joaquin 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 3,454 new drilling permits targeting the San Joaquin 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.
San Joaquin Basin activity in California includes 75,982 wells on record and 2,644 recorded operators, with 3,454 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 San Joaquin Basin in California are Kern, Fresno, Tulare, San Benito, Madera. 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: San Joaquin Basin
State: California
Total wells: 75,982
Recorded operators: 2,644
Permits 24mo: 3,454
Summary date: 2026-10-02
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