15,081 wells across 707 recorded operators, with 442 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at summary refresh.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-24.
Quick answer: The Morrow formation in New Mexico has 15,081 wells on record across 707 recorded operators, with 442 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Hilcorp Energy Company, Oxy, Southwest Royalties, Apache and Fae Ii Operating LLC. Source: Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-24.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Morrow formation in New Mexico:
| # | Operator | Wells in Morrow |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hilcorp Energy Company | 988 |
| 2 | Oxy | 729 |
| 3 | Southwest Royalties | 715 |
| 4 | Apache | 581 |
| 5 | Fae Ii Operating LLC | 559 |
| 6 | Empire New Mexico LLC | 539 |
| 7 | Eog Resources | 537 |
| 8 | Chevron | 483 |
| 9 | Mack Energy | 368 |
| 10 | Cimarex Energy Company | 313 |
The New Mexico counties with the most Morrow activity:
Lea, Chaves, Eddy, Roosevelt, Otero
Drilling permits in New Mexico each year, the Morrow count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Morrow permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,951 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2025 | 4,706 | 409 | 8.7% | 4,209 ft |
| 2024 | 5,467 | 647 | 11.8% | 2,820 ft |
| 2023 | 4,438 | 436 | 9.8% | 4,050 ft |
| 2022 | 4,190 | 405 | 9.7% | 274 ft |
| 2021 | 4,967 | 1,206 | 24.3% | 1,787 ft |
| 2020 | 7,102 | 291 | 4.1% | 6,463 ft |
| 2019 | 6,850 | 390 | 5.7% | 4,007 ft |
Share of each year’s New Mexico drilling permits by target formation, for the formations with the most permits.
| Year | Permian Basin | Avalon-Bone Spring | Nw Shelf Perm-Penn Carbonate | Morrow | Pictured Clliffs | San Juan Basin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 96.2% | — | — | — | — | 3.8% |
| 2025 | 78% | 5.2% | 2.4% | 8.7% | 0.2% | 3.5% |
| 2024 | 65.6% | 13.9% | 3.4% | 11.8% | 0.9% | 2.9% |
| 2023 | 65.1% | 12.1% | 2% | 9.8% | 6.1% | 2.7% |
| 2022 | 53.7% | 11.5% | 18.4% | 9.7% | 0.9% | 4.3% |
| 2021 | 19.3% | 36.2% | 15.8% | 24.3% | 0.1% | 2.2% |
| 2020 | 8.6% | 35.1% | 2.6% | 4.1% | 27.9% | 6.4% |
| 2019 | 11.6% | 32.9% | 29.5% | 5.7% | 2.2% | 3.1% |
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: 2026-10-24. These figures are informational only and are not a valuation of any mineral or royalty interest.
The Morrow is a formation/play group recorded in New Mexico, with 15,081 wells on file across 707 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 442 drilling permits targeting the Morrow 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.
15,081 wells target the Morrow in New Mexico, worked by 707 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-24.
The Morrow operators with the most wells on record in New Mexico are Hilcorp Energy Company, Oxy, Southwest Royalties, Apache and Fae Ii Operating LLC. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-10-24.
Operators filed 442 drilling permits targeting the Morrow in the 24-month window at source refresh, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-24.
Operators filed 442 new drilling permits targeting the Morrow in New Mexico 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: 2026-10-24.
Morrow activity in New Mexico includes 15,081 wells on record and 707 recorded operators, with 442 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh — from Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-10-24.
The primary counties recorded for Morrow in New Mexico are Lea, Chaves, Eddy, Roosevelt, Otero. Formation summary date: 2026-10-24.
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: 2026-10-24.
Get a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and the current Morrow activity in your area.
Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Morrow
State: New Mexico
Total wells: 15,081
Recorded operators: 707
Permits 24mo: 442
Summary date: 2026-10-24
