1,767 wells across 288 recorded operators, with 12 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 Santa Maria Basin formation in California has 1,767 wells on record across 288 recorded operators, with 12 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are E & B Natural Resources Management, Sunset Oil Company, Arco Oil & Gas Company, Chevron and Seaside Oil Company. 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 Santa Maria Basin formation in California:
| # | Operator | Wells in Santa Maria Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E & B Natural Resources Management | 376 |
| 2 | Sunset Oil Company | 187 |
| 3 | Arco Oil & Gas Company | 108 |
| 4 | Chevron | 102 |
| 5 | Seaside Oil Company | 86 |
| 6 | Saba Petroleum | 69 |
| 7 | Oryx Energy Company | 55 |
| 8 | Atlantic Richfield Company | 34 |
| 9 | Southern Community | 34 |
| 10 | Phillips Petroleum Company | 31 |
The California counties with the most Santa Maria Basin activity:
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Offshore, San Luis Obispo, Santa Rosa Island, Santa Cruz Area
The Santa Maria Basin is not among the California formations tracked separately in the yearly permit mix, so only statewide permit counts are shown.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,510 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 5,530 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 5,346 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 940 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 757 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 130 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,825 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 2,587 | — | — | — |
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 Santa Maria Basin is a formation/play group recorded in California, with 1,767 wells on file across 288 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 12 drilling permits targeting the Santa Maria 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.
1,767 wells target the Santa Maria Basin in California, worked by 288 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
The Santa Maria Basin operators with the most wells on record in California are E & B Natural Resources Management, Sunset Oil Company, Arco Oil & Gas Company, Chevron and Seaside Oil Company. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Operators filed 12 drilling permits targeting the Santa Maria 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 12 new drilling permits targeting the Santa Maria 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.
Santa Maria Basin activity in California includes 1,767 wells on record and 288 recorded operators, with 12 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 Santa Maria Basin in California are Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Offshore, San Luis Obispo, Santa Rosa Island, Santa Cruz Area. 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: Santa Maria Basin
State: California
Total wells: 1,767
Recorded operators: 288
Permits 24mo: 12
Summary date: 2026-10-02
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