3,052 wells across 526 active operators, with 64 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 Ventura Basin formation in California has 3,052 wells on record across 526 active operators, with 64 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-16). Its most active operators by well count are Carbon California Operating Company LLC, Chevron, Calnrg Operating LLC, Shell Oil Company and Union Oil Company Of California. Compiled from California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
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 most recent 17 drilling permits filed for Ventura Basin wells in California:
| Permit Date | Well | API | County | Operator | Lateral (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-07 | 15x 4 | 04111223660000 |
Ventura | Pacific Coast Energy Company | — |
| 2026-01-07 | 15x 5 | 04111223670000 |
Ventura | Pacific Coast Energy Company | — |
| 2026-01-06 | 16x 3 | 04111223690000 |
Ventura | Pacific Coast Energy Company | — |
| 2025-12-24 | Hobson B-20 | 04111017390000 |
Ventura | Calnrg Operating LLC | — |
| 2025-12-23 | 16x 2 | 04111223420000 |
Ventura | Pacific Coast Energy Company | — |
| 2025-12-22 | Lenox Ranch 108h | 04111219840000 |
Ventura | Trivalley Oil Gas Company | — |
| 2025-12-22 | Lenox Ranch 101h | 04111219690000 |
Ventura | Trivalley Oil Gas Company | — |
| 2025-11-13 | Lenox Ranch 107h | 04111219910000 |
Ventura | Trivalley Oil Gas Company | — |
| 2025-11-13 | Lenox Ranch 104h | 04111219710000 |
Ventura | Trivalley Oil Gas Company | — |
| 2025-10-22 | Lenox M-2 | 04111222750000 |
Ventura | Peak Operator | — |
| 2025-08-23 | So. Mountain Fb I Unit 6 | 04111031550000 |
Ventura | The Termo Company | — |
| 2025-08-15 | Lenox Ranch 109h | 04111219720000 |
Ventura | Peak Operator | 2,839 |
| 2025-08-15 | Peak-Hbh 6h-C1 | 04111222000000 |
Ventura | Peak Operator | — |
| 2025-08-15 | Vacca Tar Sand Unit 2-1 | 04111010470000 |
Ventura | Peak Operator | — |
| 2025-07-30 | White Star 15-33 | 04111028520000 |
Ventura | Carbon California Operating Company LLC | — |
| 2024-12-18 | Elkins 10-6 | 04111223980000 |
Ventura | Calnrg Operating LLC | — |
| 2024-10-07 | Peak-Hbh 3to-D5 | 04111222260000 |
Ventura | Peak Operator | — |
The Ventura Basin is one of California's active oil and gas plays, with 3,052 wells on file across 526 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 64 drilling permits targeting the Ventura 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 Ventura, Los Angeles, Ventura Offshore, Santa Barbara, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Ventura 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)
3,052 wells target the Ventura Basin in California, worked by 526 active operators, per CalGEM well-header records (as of 2026-08-16).
By well count, the most active Ventura Basin operators 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.
Operators filed 64 drilling permits targeting the Ventura Basin in the last 24 months — a live measure of current activity, per CalGEM records.
Operators filed 64 new drilling permits targeting the Ventura Basin in California over the last 24 months. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Ventura Basin drilling, per CalGEM records (as of 2026-08-16).
Ventura Basin activity in California currently spans 3,052 wells on record and 526 active operators, led by Carbon California Operating Company LLC, Chevron, Calnrg Operating LLC, Shell Oil Company and Union Oil Company Of California, with 64 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 Ventura Basin counties in California are Ventura, Los Angeles, Ventura Offshore, Santa Barbara.
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 Ventura 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: Ventura Basin
State: California
Total wells: 3,052
Active operators: 526
Permits 24mo: 64
Last refresh: 2026-08-16
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