52,469 wells across 1,352 active operators, with 223 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months.
Refreshed monthly from ECMC well-header records. Data current as of 2026-08-23.
Quick answer: The Muddy J Sand formation in Colorado has 52,469 wells on record across 1,352 active operators, with 223 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-23). Its most active operators by well count are Noble Energy, Kerr-McGee, PDC Energy, Crestone Peak Resources Operating and Extraction Oil & Gas. Compiled from Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
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 | 1,531 |
| 6 | K P Kauffman Company | 1,419 |
| 7 | Bonanza Creek Energy Operating Company | 1,103 |
| 8 | Bison Iv Operating LLC | 998 |
| 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
Wells targeting the Muddy J Sand that have been spudded but are waiting on completion — near-term production upside:
| Spud Date | Days Waiting | Well | Operator | County | Lateral (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-15 | 99 | Critter Creek 14 11-63 14-35-1 | Bison Iv Operating LLC | Weld | 16,070 |
The Muddy J Sand is one of Colorado's active oil and gas plays, with 52,469 wells on file across 1,352 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 223 drilling permits targeting the Muddy J Sand 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 Weld, Adams, Morgan, Arapahoe, Larimer, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Muddy J Sand 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.
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52,469 wells target the Muddy J Sand in Colorado, worked by 1,352 active operators, per ECMC well-header records (as of 2026-08-23).
By well count, the most active Muddy J Sand operators 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.
Operators filed 223 drilling permits targeting the Muddy J Sand in the last 24 months, and there is 1 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) well awaiting completion — a live measure of current activity, per ECMC records.
Operators filed 223 new drilling permits targeting the Muddy J Sand in Colorado over the last 24 months, with 1 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) well awaiting completion. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Muddy J Sand drilling, per ECMC records (as of 2026-08-23).
Muddy J Sand activity in Colorado currently spans 52,469 wells on record and 1,352 active operators, led by Noble Energy, Kerr-McGee, PDC Energy, Crestone Peak Resources Operating and Extraction Oil & Gas, with 223 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months — refreshed monthly from Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) well-header records (as of 2026-08-23).
The most active Muddy J Sand counties in Colorado are Weld, Adams, Morgan, Arapahoe, Larimer.
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 Muddy J Sand 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.
Get a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and the current Muddy J Sand activity in your area.
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Formation: Muddy J Sand
State: Colorado
Total wells: 52,469
Active operators: 1,352
Permits 24mo: 223
Last refresh: 2026-08-23