119 wells across 40 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 Palo Duro Basin formation in New Mexico has 119 wells on record across 40 recorded operators, with 0 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Enercap, Public Lands Exploration, Ckg Energy, Transpecos Resources and Shell Oil Company. 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 Palo Duro Basin formation in New Mexico:
| # | Operator | Wells in Palo Duro Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enercap | 18 |
| 2 | Public Lands Exploration | 15 |
| 3 | Ckg Energy | 9 |
| 4 | Transpecos Resources | 7 |
| 5 | Shell Oil Company | 6 |
| 6 | Eog Resources | 6 |
| 7 | Moranlavaca LLC | 4 |
| 8 | Sonoma Energy | 4 |
| 9 | Mcclellan Oil | 4 |
| 10 | Bruce A Wilbanks | 3 |
The New Mexico counties with the most Palo Duro Basin activity:
Guadalupe, De Baca, Quay, Curry, San Miguel
The Palo Duro Basin is not among the New Mexico formations tracked separately in the yearly permit mix, so only statewide permit counts are shown.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3,015 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 4,706 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 5,468 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 4,438 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 4,190 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 4,966 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 7,102 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 6,850 | — | — | — |
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% | — | — | — | — | 4% |
| 2025 | 78% | 5.2% | 2.4% | 8.7% | 0.2% | 3.5% |
| 2024 | 65.6% | 13.9% | 3.4% | 11.9% | 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: 2026-11-01. These figures are informational only and are not a valuation of any mineral or royalty interest.
The Palo Duro Basin is a formation/play group recorded in New Mexico, with 119 wells on file across 40 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Palo Duro 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.
119 wells target the Palo Duro Basin in New Mexico, worked by 40 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Palo Duro Basin operators with the most wells on record in New Mexico are Enercap, Public Lands Exploration, Ckg Energy, Transpecos Resources and Shell Oil Company. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Palo Duro 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 0 new drilling permits targeting the Palo Duro Basin 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: 2026-11-01.
Palo Duro Basin activity in New Mexico includes 119 wells on record and 40 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 Palo Duro Basin in New Mexico are Guadalupe, De Baca, Quay, Curry, San Miguel. 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 Palo Duro Basin activity in your area.
Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Palo Duro Basin
State: New Mexico
Total wells: 119
Recorded operators: 40
Permits 24mo: 0
Summary date: 2026-11-01
Free written offers on Palo Duro Basin mineral rights in New Mexico.
Get Your Free Offer