3,797 wells across 335 recorded operators, with 972 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at summary refresh.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Quick answer: The Denver Basin formation in Colorado has 3,797 wells on record across 335 recorded operators, with 972 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Kerr-McGee, PDC Energy, Noble Energy, Crestone Peak Resources Operating and Bison Iv Operating LLC. Source: Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Denver Basin formation in Colorado:
| # | Operator | Wells in Denver Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kerrmcgee | 699 |
| 2 | Pdc Energy | 530 |
| 3 | Noble Energy | 339 |
| 4 | Crestone Peak Resources Operating | 237 |
| 5 | Bison Iv Operating LLC | 220 |
| 6 | Verdad Resources | 170 |
| 7 | Extraction Oil & Gas | 105 |
| 8 | Prairie Operating CO LLC | 83 |
| 9 | Bonanza Creek Energy Operating Company | 65 |
| 10 | Javernick Oil | 58 |
The Colorado counties with the most Denver Basin activity:
Weld, Fremont, Lincoln, Adams, Arapahoe
Drilling permits in Colorado each year, the Denver Basin count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Denver Basin permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 604 | 420 | 69.5% | 13,263 ft |
| 2025 | 696 | 446 | 64.1% | 11,763 ft |
| 2024 | 862 | 557 | 64.6% | 11,165 ft |
| 2023 | 902 | 512 | 56.8% | 11,338 ft |
| 2022 | 1,044 | 339 | 32.5% | 11,132 ft |
| 2021 | 517 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2020 | 958 | 6 | 0.6% | n<5 |
| 2019 | 1,637 | 7 | 0.4% | n<5 |
Share of each year’s Colorado drilling permits by target formation, for the formations with the most permits.
| Year | Muddy J Sand | Denver Basin | Mesaverde | Piceance Basin | San Juan Basin | Las Vegas - Raton Basin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16.2% | 69.5% | — | 6.8% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| 2025 | 16.8% | 64.1% | 3.3% | 11.5% | 2.4% | 0.7% |
| 2024 | 15.3% | 64.6% | 2% | 12.3% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| 2023 | 22.1% | 56.8% | 5.7% | 8.5% | 4.8% | 1.1% |
| 2022 | 37.1% | 32.5% | 8.3% | 9.5% | 7.7% | 0.5% |
| 2021 | 65.6% | — | 26.1% | — | 4.8% | 0.6% |
| 2020 | 88.4% | 0.6% | 10.5% | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 85.1% | 0.4% | 10.8% | 0.2% | 0.6% | — |
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: 2026-11-01. These figures are informational only and are not a valuation of any mineral or royalty interest.
The Denver Basin is a formation/play group recorded in Colorado, with 3,797 wells on file across 335 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 972 drilling permits targeting the Denver 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.
3,797 wells target the Denver Basin in Colorado, worked by 335 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Denver Basin operators with the most wells on record in Colorado are Kerr-McGee, PDC Energy, Noble Energy, Crestone Peak Resources Operating and Bison Iv Operating LLC. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 972 drilling permits targeting the Denver Basin in the 24-month window at source refresh, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 972 new drilling permits targeting the Denver Basin in Colorado 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: 2026-11-01.
Denver Basin activity in Colorado includes 3,797 wells on record and 335 recorded operators, with 972 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh — from Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The primary counties recorded for Denver Basin in Colorado are Weld, Fremont, Lincoln, Adams, Arapahoe. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
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: 2026-11-01.
Get a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and the current Denver Basin activity in your area.
Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Denver Basin
State: Colorado
Total wells: 3,797
Recorded operators: 335
Permits 24mo: 972
Summary date: 2026-11-01
