17,560 wells across 976 recorded operators, with 492 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 Cherokee Basin formation in Kansas has 17,560 wells on record across 976 recorded operators, with 492 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Laymon Oil Ii, RJ Energy, Colt Energy, Trimble & Maclaskey Oil and Owens Petroleum. 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 Cherokee Basin formation in Kansas:
| # | Operator | Wells in Cherokee Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laymon Oil Ii | 1,144 |
| 2 | Rj Energy | 944 |
| 3 | Colt Energy | 834 |
| 4 | Trimble & Maclaskey Oil | 594 |
| 5 | Owens Petroleum | 455 |
| 6 | Warhorse Petroleum INC | 357 |
| 7 | Altavista Energy | 323 |
| 8 | 325 Energy Operations, LLC | 276 |
| 9 | Jackson Brothers | 259 |
| 10 | Tremo | 251 |
The Kansas counties with the most Cherokee Basin activity:
Greenwood, Woodson, Allen, Chautauqua, Bourbon
Drilling permits in Kansas each year, the Cherokee Basin count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Cherokee Basin permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 752 | 205 | 27.3% | n<5 |
| 2025 | 751 | 195 | 26% | n<5 |
| 2024 | 1,279 | 340 | 26.6% | n<5 |
| 2023 | 1,372 | 226 | 16.5% | n<5 |
| 2022 | 1,697 | 229 | 13.5% | n<5 |
| 2021 | 1,328 | 124 | 9.3% | n<5 |
| 2020 | 557 | 32 | 5.7% | n<5 |
| 2019 | 1,206 | 24 | 2% | 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 Cherokee Basin is a formation/play group recorded in Kansas, with 17,560 wells on file across 976 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 492 drilling permits targeting the Cherokee 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.
17,560 wells target the Cherokee Basin in Kansas, worked by 976 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Cherokee Basin operators with the most wells on record in Kansas are Laymon Oil Ii, RJ Energy, Colt Energy, Trimble & Maclaskey Oil and Owens Petroleum. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 492 drilling permits targeting the Cherokee 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 492 new drilling permits targeting the Cherokee Basin 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.
Cherokee Basin activity in Kansas includes 17,560 wells on record and 976 recorded operators, with 492 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 Cherokee Basin in Kansas are Greenwood, Woodson, Allen, Chautauqua, Bourbon. 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 Cherokee Basin activity in your area.
Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Cherokee Basin
State: Kansas
Total wells: 17,560
Recorded operators: 976
Permits 24mo: 492
Summary date: 2026-11-01
