# Santa Maria Basin Formation in California: Operators, Permits & Activity 2026
> **Breadcrumb:** Home › Operators › California Formations & Plays › Santa Maria Basin (California)

> Santa Maria Basin oil and gas activity in California: 1767 wells across 289 operators, 18 recent permits. Top operators, top counties, recent permits and DUC inventory targeting the Santa Maria Basin formation. Refreshed monthly.

**URL:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/formation-california/santa-maria-basin
**Source:** Buckhead Energy (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/)
**Generated:** 2026-08-16 (heuristic; server-side extraction)

## Answer
Quick answer: The Santa Maria Basin formation in California has 1,767 wells on record across 289 active operators, with 18 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-16). Its most active operators by well count are E & B Natural Resources Management, Sunset Oil Company, Arco Oil & Gas Company, Chevron and Seaside Oil Company. Compiled from California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) well-header records, refreshed monthly.

## Dataset
**Name:** Santa Maria Basin Formation – California Oil & Gas Activity

Santa Maria Basin formation operator and drilling activity in California: 1,767 wells, 289 active operators, 18 permits in the last 24 months. Top operators, top counties, recent permits, and DUC inventory.

**Variables measured:**
- Total Wells: 1767
- Active Operators: 289
- Recent Permits (24 Months): 18

## Page Outline
- Santa Maria Basin Formation in California
  - Top Operators in the Santa Maria Basin (California)
  - Primary California Counties for the Santa Maria Basin
  - Recent Santa Maria Basin Drilling Permits in California
  - About the Santa Maria Basin Formation in California
  - Frequently Asked Questions
  - Own Santa Maria Basin Mineral Rights in California?
  - Related Operator Intelligence

## Related Pages
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- [Top California Operators Leaderboard](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/top-operators-california)
- [California Drilling Activity Report (permits, DUCs, spuds)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/california-drilling-activity-report)
- [US Mineral Market Activity Index (all 11 states ranked 0–100)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/us-mineral-market-activity-index)
- [US Mineral & Drilling Activity Index (national rollup)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/us-drilling-activity-index)
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- [Oklahoma Industry Snapshot](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/oklahoma-oil-gas-industry-snapshot)
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- [Live Oil & Gas Prices (WTI + Henry Hub)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/oil-gas-prices)
- [Sell Your California Mineral Rights](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell)
- [How to Sell Mineral Rights (Step-by-Step)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/2026/how-to-sell-mineral-rights)
- [Oil & Gas Market Data Hub (all dated datasets)](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/oil-gas-market-data)

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