2,242 wells across 171 recorded operators, with 0 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 Niobrara East formation in Kansas has 2,242 wells on record across 171 recorded operators, with 0 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Own Resources Operating, Murfin Drilling, Smith Oil & Gas, Rosewood Resources and Lobo Production. 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 Niobrara East formation in Kansas:
| # | Operator | Wells in Niobrara East |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Own Resources Operating | 505 |
| 2 | Murfin Drilling | 238 |
| 3 | Smith Oil & Gas | 191 |
| 4 | Rosewood Resources | 161 |
| 5 | Lobo Production | 159 |
| 6 | Pdc Energy | 133 |
| 7 | Noble Energy | 118 |
| 8 | Priority Oil & Gas | 41 |
| 9 | Rockin G Energy | 35 |
| 10 | Foundation Energy Management | 35 |
The Kansas counties with the most Niobrara East activity:
Cheyenne, Sherman, Rawlins, Thomas, Sheridan
The Niobrara East is not among the Kansas formations tracked separately in the yearly permit mix, so only statewide permit counts are shown.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 752 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 751 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 1,279 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 1,372 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,697 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,328 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 557 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,206 | — | — | — |
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 Niobrara East is a formation/play group recorded in Kansas, with 2,242 wells on file across 171 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Niobrara East 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.
2,242 wells target the Niobrara East in Kansas, worked by 171 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Niobrara East operators with the most wells on record in Kansas are Own Resources Operating, Murfin Drilling, Smith Oil & Gas, Rosewood Resources and Lobo Production. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Niobrara East 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 0 new drilling permits targeting the Niobrara East 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.
Niobrara East activity in Kansas includes 2,242 wells on record and 171 recorded operators, with 0 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 Niobrara East in Kansas are Cheyenne, Sherman, Rawlins, Thomas, Sheridan. 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: Niobrara East
State: Kansas
Total wells: 2,242
Recorded operators: 171
Permits 24mo: 0
Summary date: 2026-11-01
