284 wells across 100 active operators, with 4 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 Santa Barbra Channel Basin formation in California has 284 wells on record across 100 active operators, with 4 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-16). Its most active operators by well count are Dcor, Union Oil Company Of California, Venoco, Fred E Cole and Calnrg Operating LLC. Compiled from California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Santa Barbra Channel Basin formation in California:
| # | Operator | Wells in Santa Barbra Channel Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dcor | 39 |
| 2 | Union Oil Company Of California | 16 |
| 3 | Venoco | 16 |
| 4 | Fred E Cole | 15 |
| 5 | Calnrg Operating LLC | 12 |
| 6 | Arco Oil & Gas Company | 11 |
| 7 | Exxon Mobil | 10 |
| 8 | Transoceanic Oil | 10 |
| 9 | Atlantic Richfield Company | 7 |
| 10 | Sable Offshore CORP | 6 |
The California counties with the most Santa Barbra Channel Basin activity:
Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz Area, Santa Barbara Offshore, Ventura, Ventura Offshore
The most recent 1 drilling permits filed for Santa Barbra Channel Basin wells in California:
| Permit Date | Well | API | County | Operator | Lateral (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-17 | State Prc 41 | 04111222840000 |
Ventura | Calnrg Operating LLC | — |
The Santa Barbra Channel Basin is one of California's active oil and gas plays, with 284 wells on file across 100 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 4 drilling permits targeting the Santa Barbra Channel 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 Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz Area, Santa Barbara Offshore, Ventura, Ventura Offshore, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Santa Barbra Channel 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)
284 wells target the Santa Barbra Channel Basin in California, worked by 100 active operators, per CalGEM well-header records (as of 2026-08-16).
By well count, the most active Santa Barbra Channel Basin operators in California are Dcor, Union Oil Company Of California, Venoco, Fred E Cole and Calnrg Operating LLC. The full ranking is in the table on this page.
Operators filed 4 drilling permits targeting the Santa Barbra Channel Basin in the last 24 months — a live measure of current activity, per CalGEM records.
Operators filed 4 new drilling permits targeting the Santa Barbra Channel Basin in California over the last 24 months. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Santa Barbra Channel Basin drilling, per CalGEM records (as of 2026-08-16).
Santa Barbra Channel Basin activity in California currently spans 284 wells on record and 100 active operators, led by Dcor, Union Oil Company Of California, Venoco, Fred E Cole and Calnrg Operating LLC, with 4 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 Santa Barbra Channel Basin counties in California are Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz Area, Santa Barbara Offshore, Ventura, Ventura Offshore.
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 Santa Barbra Channel 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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Formation: Santa Barbra Channel Basin
State: California
Total wells: 284
Active operators: 100
Permits 24mo: 4
Last refresh: 2026-08-16
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