8,470 wells across 411 recorded operators, with 12 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 Gulf Coast Basin formation in Texas has 8,470 wells on record across 411 recorded operators, with 12 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Apache, McMoran Oil & Gas, White Fleet Operating LLC, Gom Shelf and Fieldwood Energy. 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 Gulf Coast Basin formation in Texas:
| # | Operator | Wells in Gulf Coast Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apache | 489 |
| 2 | Mcmoran Oil & Gas | 307 |
| 3 | White Fleet Operating LLC | 285 |
| 4 | Gom Shelf | 242 |
| 5 | Fieldwood Energy | 230 |
| 6 | W & T Offshore | 174 |
| 7 | Exxon Mobil | 169 |
| 8 | Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations | 151 |
| 9 | Talos Energy Offshore | 150 |
| 10 | Sabine Oil & Gas | 145 |
The Texas counties with the most Gulf Coast Basin activity:
High Island South, High Island East & South, High Island Large Block, Matagorda Island Large Block, Galveston Large Block
The Gulf Coast Basin is not among the Texas formations tracked separately in the yearly permit mix, so only statewide permit counts are shown.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8,004 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 8,037 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 8,916 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 9,280 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 12,110 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 9,907 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 9,447 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 15,566 | — | — | — |
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 Gulf Coast Basin is a formation/play group recorded in Texas, with 8,470 wells on file across 411 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 12 drilling permits targeting the Gulf Coast 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.
8,470 wells target the Gulf Coast Basin in Texas, worked by 411 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Gulf Coast Basin operators with the most wells on record in Texas are Apache, McMoran Oil & Gas, White Fleet Operating LLC, Gom Shelf and Fieldwood Energy. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed 12 drilling permits targeting the Gulf Coast 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 12 new drilling permits targeting the Gulf Coast Basin 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.
Gulf Coast Basin activity in Texas includes 8,470 wells on record and 411 recorded operators, with 12 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 Gulf Coast Basin in Texas are High Island South, High Island East & South, High Island Large Block, Matagorda Island Large Block, Galveston Large Block. 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: Gulf Coast Basin
State: Texas
Total wells: 8,470
Recorded operators: 411
Permits 24mo: 12
Summary date: 2026-11-01
