3,052 wells across 526 recorded operators, with 68 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 Ventura Basin formation in California has 3,052 wells on record across 526 recorded operators, with 68 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Carbon California Operating Company LLC, Chevron, Calnrg Operating LLC, Shell Oil Company and Union Oil Company Of California. 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 Ventura Basin formation in California:
| # | Operator | Wells in Ventura Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carbon California Operating Company LLC | 606 |
| 2 | Chevron | 245 |
| 3 | Calnrg Operating LLC | 229 |
| 4 | Shell Oil Company | 102 |
| 5 | Union Oil Company Of California | 74 |
| 6 | The Termo Company | 53 |
| 7 | Argo Petroleum | 49 |
| 8 | Arco Oil & Gas Company | 48 |
| 9 | American Oil | 46 |
| 10 | Adolfo Camarillo | 46 |
The California counties with the most Ventura Basin activity:
Ventura, Los Angeles, Ventura Offshore, Santa Barbara
The Ventura 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 Ventura Basin is a formation/play group recorded in California, with 3,052 wells on file across 526 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 68 drilling permits targeting the Ventura 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.
3,052 wells target the Ventura Basin in California, worked by 526 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
The Ventura Basin operators with the most wells on record in California are Carbon California Operating Company LLC, Chevron, Calnrg Operating LLC, Shell Oil Company and Union Oil Company Of California. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-10-02.
Operators filed 68 drilling permits targeting the Ventura 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 68 new drilling permits targeting the Ventura 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.
Ventura Basin activity in California includes 3,052 wells on record and 526 recorded operators, with 68 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 Ventura Basin in California are Ventura, Los Angeles, Ventura Offshore, Santa Barbara. 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: Ventura Basin
State: California
Total wells: 3,052
Recorded operators: 526
Permits 24mo: 68
Summary date: 2026-10-02
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