52,469 wells across 1,352 recorded operators, with 229 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 Muddy J Sand formation in Colorado has 52,469 wells on record across 1,352 recorded operators, with 229 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Noble Energy, Kerr-McGee, PDC Energy, Crestone Peak Resources Operating and Extraction Oil & Gas. 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 Muddy J Sand formation in Colorado:
| # | Operator | Wells in Muddy J Sand |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noble Energy | 9,898 |
| 2 | Kerrmcgee | 9,073 |
| 3 | Pdc Energy | 7,689 |
| 4 | Crestone Peak Resources Operating | 2,191 |
| 5 | Extraction Oil & Gas | 1,523 |
| 6 | K P Kauffman Company | 1,419 |
| 7 | Bonanza Creek Energy Operating Company | 1,103 |
| 8 | Bison Iv Operating LLC | 999 |
| 9 | Highpoint Operating | 951 |
| 10 | Prairie Operating CO LLC | 615 |
The Colorado counties with the most Muddy J Sand activity:
Weld, Adams, Morgan, Arapahoe, Larimer
Drilling permits in Colorado each year, the Muddy J Sand count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Muddy J Sand permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 604 | 98 | 16.2% | 10,192 ft |
| 2025 | 696 | 117 | 16.8% | 10,124 ft |
| 2024 | 862 | 132 | 15.3% | 10,366 ft |
| 2023 | 902 | 199 | 22.1% | 10,064 ft |
| 2022 | 1,044 | 387 | 37.1% | 10,071 ft |
| 2021 | 517 | 339 | 65.6% | 10,219 ft |
| 2020 | 958 | 847 | 88.4% | 10,114 ft |
| 2019 | 1,637 | 1,393 | 85.1% | 8,696 ft |
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 Muddy J Sand is a formation/play group recorded in Colorado, with 52,469 wells on file across 1,352 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 229 drilling permits targeting the Muddy J Sand 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.
52,469 wells target the Muddy J Sand in Colorado, worked by 1,352 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Muddy J Sand operators with the most wells on record in Colorado are Noble Energy, Kerr-McGee, PDC Energy, Crestone Peak Resources Operating and Extraction Oil & Gas. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 229 drilling permits targeting the Muddy J Sand 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 229 new drilling permits targeting the Muddy J Sand 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.
Muddy J Sand activity in Colorado includes 52,469 wells on record and 1,352 recorded operators, with 229 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 Muddy J Sand in Colorado are Weld, Adams, Morgan, Arapahoe, Larimer. 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 Muddy J Sand activity in your area.
Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Muddy J Sand
State: Colorado
Total wells: 52,469
Recorded operators: 1,352
Permits 24mo: 229
Summary date: 2026-11-01
