94,015 wells across 6,455 recorded operators, with 159 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 Austin Chalk formation in Texas has 94,015 wells on record across 6,455 recorded operators, with 159 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are EOG Resources, Magnolia Oil & Gas Operating, Wildfire Energy Operating LLC, Javelin Energy and Ineos USA Oil & Gas LLC. 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 Austin Chalk formation in Texas:
| # | Operator | Wells in Austin Chalk |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eog Resources | 3,792 |
| 2 | Magnolia Oil & Gas Operating | 2,070 |
| 3 | Wildfire Energy Operating LLC | 1,701 |
| 4 | Javelin Energy | 1,605 |
| 5 | Ineos USA Oil & Gas LLC | 1,441 |
| 6 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | 1,408 |
| 7 | Marathon Oil Company | 1,392 |
| 8 | Great Plains Resources | 1,313 |
| 9 | Texas Petroleum Investment Company | 1,245 |
| 10 | Devon Energy Production Company | 1,055 |
The Texas counties with the most Austin Chalk activity:
Bexar, Caldwell, Atascosa, Guadalupe, Milam
Drilling permits in Texas each year, the Austin Chalk count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Austin Chalk permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8,004 | 56 | 0.7% | 5,006 ft |
| 2025 | 8,037 | 97 | 1.2% | 4,896 ft |
| 2024 | 8,916 | 63 | 0.7% | 4,835 ft |
| 2023 | 9,280 | 87 | 0.9% | 5,333 ft |
| 2022 | 12,110 | 247 | 2% | 7,535 ft |
| 2021 | 9,907 | 783 | 7.9% | 6,941 ft |
| 2020 | 9,447 | 1,057 | 11.2% | 7,006 ft |
| 2019 | 15,566 | 1,879 | 12.1% | 7,145 ft |
Share of each year’s Texas drilling permits by target formation, for the formations with the most permits.
| Year | Permian Basin | Gulf Coast Basin (La - Tx) | Avalon-Bone Spring | Thirty-One Carbonate-Chert | Austin Chalk | East Texas Basin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58.1% | 17.8% | 0.5% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 5.9% |
| 2025 | 62.9% | 19% | 1.4% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 4.5% |
| 2024 | 65.7% | 20.9% | 0.5% | 2% | 0.7% | 3.8% |
| 2023 | 59.7% | 21.5% | 1.8% | 3.1% | 0.9% | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 44.7% | 16.7% | 2.9% | 4.6% | 2% | 3% |
| 2021 | 34.3% | 6.2% | 8.4% | 10.3% | 7.9% | 0.8% |
| 2020 | 24.4% | 3.3% | 11.6% | 9% | 11.2% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 24.8% | 3.2% | 14% | 9.2% | 12.1% | 0.2% |
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 Austin Chalk is a formation/play group recorded in Texas, with 94,015 wells on file across 6,455 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 159 drilling permits targeting the Austin Chalk 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.
94,015 wells target the Austin Chalk in Texas, worked by 6,455 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Austin Chalk operators with the most wells on record in Texas are EOG Resources, Magnolia Oil & Gas Operating, Wildfire Energy Operating LLC, Javelin Energy and Ineos USA Oil & Gas LLC. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 159 drilling permits targeting the Austin Chalk 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 159 new drilling permits targeting the Austin Chalk in Texas 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.
Austin Chalk activity in Texas includes 94,015 wells on record and 6,455 recorded operators, with 159 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 Austin Chalk in Texas are Bexar, Caldwell, Atascosa, Guadalupe, Milam. 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: Austin Chalk
State: Texas
Total wells: 94,015
Recorded operators: 6,455
Permits 24mo: 159
Summary date: 2026-11-01
