55,624 wells across 2,361 recorded operators, with 263 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 Central Kansas Uplift formation in Kansas has 55,624 wells on record across 2,361 recorded operators, with 263 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Murfin Drilling, Mai Oil Operations, American Warrior, Patterson Energy and Vess Oil. 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 Central Kansas Uplift formation in Kansas:
| # | Operator | Wells in Central Kansas Uplift |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murfin Drilling | 1,865 |
| 2 | Mai Oil Operations | 1,275 |
| 3 | American Warrior | 992 |
| 4 | Patterson Energy | 982 |
| 5 | Vess Oil | 936 |
| 6 | Farmer John O | 919 |
| 7 | Berexco | 898 |
| 8 | Ritchie Exploration | 890 |
| 9 | F G Holl Company | 705 |
| 10 | Trans Pacific Oil | 702 |
The Kansas counties with the most Central Kansas Uplift activity:
Barton, Ellis, Russell, Stafford, Rice
Drilling permits in Kansas each year, the Central Kansas Uplift count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Central Kansas Uplift permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 752 | 113 | 15% | n<5 |
| 2025 | 751 | 125 | 16.6% | n<5 |
| 2024 | 1,279 | 208 | 16.3% | n<5 |
| 2023 | 1,372 | 304 | 22.2% | n<5 |
| 2022 | 1,697 | 333 | 19.6% | n<5 |
| 2021 | 1,328 | 236 | 17.8% | n<5 |
| 2020 | 557 | 131 | 23.5% | n<5 |
| 2019 | 1,206 | 277 | 23% | n<5 |
Share of each year’s Kansas drilling permits by target formation, for the formations with the most permits.
| Year | Forest City Basin | Anadarko Basin | Central Kansas Uplift | Cherokee Basin | Sedgwick Basin | Las Animas Arch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 22.7% | 19.4% | 15% | 27.3% | 4.4% | 5.5% |
| 2025 | 21.7% | 21.8% | 16.6% | 26% | 5.1% | 6% |
| 2024 | 29% | 13.8% | 16.3% | 26.6% | 4.2% | 5% |
| 2023 | 30.5% | 15.4% | 22.2% | 16.5% | 3.6% | 6.3% |
| 2022 | 28.5% | 21.1% | 19.6% | 13.5% | 6.4% | 4.4% |
| 2021 | 25.5% | 23.3% | 17.8% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 3% |
| 2020 | 15.8% | 20.8% | 23.5% | 5.7% | 8.3% | 3.2% |
| 2019 | 20.6% | 25.5% | 23% | 2% | 5.4% | 5% |
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 Central Kansas Uplift is a formation/play group recorded in Kansas, with 55,624 wells on file across 2,361 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 263 drilling permits targeting the Central Kansas Uplift 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.
55,624 wells target the Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas, worked by 2,361 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Central Kansas Uplift operators with the most wells on record in Kansas are Murfin Drilling, Mai Oil Operations, American Warrior, Patterson Energy and Vess Oil. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 263 drilling permits targeting the Central Kansas Uplift 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 263 new drilling permits targeting the Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas 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.
Central Kansas Uplift activity in Kansas includes 55,624 wells on record and 2,361 recorded operators, with 263 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 Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas are Barton, Ellis, Russell, Stafford, Rice. 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.
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Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Central Kansas Uplift
State: Kansas
Total wells: 55,624
Recorded operators: 2,361
Permits 24mo: 263
Summary date: 2026-11-01
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