6,609 wells across 490 active operators, with 34 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months.
Refreshed monthly from WVDEP OOG well-header records. Data current as of 2026-08-24.
Quick answer: The Appalachian Basin formation in West Virginia has 6,609 wells on record across 490 active operators, with 34 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-24). Its most active operators by well count are Diversified Production LLC, Cabot Oil & Gas, Columbia Natural Resources, Ground Resources and Exco Resources PA. Compiled from West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Oil and Gas (WVDEP OOG) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Appalachian Basin formation in West Virginia:
| # | Operator | Wells in Appalachian Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diversified Production LLC | 1,185 |
| 2 | Cabot Oil & Gas | 300 |
| 3 | Columbia Natural Resources | 207 |
| 4 | Ground Resources | 146 |
| 5 | Exco Resources PA | 141 |
| 6 | East Resources | 127 |
| 7 | Pillar Energy | 126 |
| 8 | Delta Helix Energy LLC | 126 |
| 9 | Prime Energy Company | 124 |
| 10 | Eqt Production Company | 117 |
The West Virginia counties with the most Appalachian Basin activity:
Roane, Kanawha, Lincoln, Wayne, Wyoming
The most recent 18 drilling permits filed for Appalachian Basin wells in West Virginia:
| Permit Date | Well | API | County | Operator | Lateral (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-06 | Blm/US Fish And Wildlife Services 4710780653 | 4710701813 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2026-07-06 | Blm/US Fish And Wildlife Services 4710780652 | 4710701811 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2026-07-06 | Blm/US Fish And Wildlife Services 4710780654 | 4710701810 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2026-07-06 | Blm/US Fish And Wildlife Services 4710780561 | 4710701812 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2026-06-22 | Blm US Fish And Wildlife Service 4710780650 | 4710701809 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-10-17 | Lyme Mountaineer Timberlands LLC Icc 28 #1 | 4704502414 |
Logan | Keyrock Energy | — |
| 2025-10-14 | Pennzoil Company Casto 133 | 4701502253 |
Clay | Ground Resources | — |
| 2025-10-14 | White, O. T. & Beulah R.s. Kyle West 21976 | 4701502497 |
Clay | Ground Resources | — |
| 2025-07-09 | Carte, James & Gerry Ivana Tr 3 #2 | 4703904892 |
Kanawha | Diversified Production LLC | — |
| 2025-04-04 | US Fish And Wildlife Service 10 | 4710701792 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-04-04 | US Fish And Wildlife Service 3 | 4710701794 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-04-04 | US Fish And Wildlife Service 7 | 4710701791 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-04-04 | US Fish And Wildlife Service 12 | 4710701790 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-04-04 | US Fish And Wildlife Service 9 | 4710701793 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-04-04 | US Fish And Wildlife Service 11 | 4710701789 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-04-04 | US Fish And Wildlife Service 13 | 4710701788 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2025-03-14 | US Fish And Wildlife Services 2 | 4710701787 |
Wood | US Fish And Wildlife Service | — |
| 2024-12-19 | Kermit 1 | 4705902268 |
Mingo | Keyrock Energy | — |
The Appalachian Basin is one of West Virginia's active oil and gas plays, with 6,609 wells on file across 490 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 34 drilling permits targeting the Appalachian Basin in the last 24 months — a measure of how active the play is right now versus its historical baseline.
For mineral owners with interests in Roane, Kanawha, Lincoln, Wayne, Wyoming, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Appalachian Basin footprint is a foundational valuation question. Active formations with consistent permit flow command premium pricing; legacy formations with steady but declining production are valued differently.
See all West Virginia oil & gas formations & plays · Download the West Virginia formations dataset (CSV)
6,609 wells target the Appalachian Basin in West Virginia, worked by 490 active operators, per WVDEP OOG well-header records (as of 2026-08-24).
By well count, the most active Appalachian Basin operators in West Virginia are Diversified Production LLC, Cabot Oil & Gas, Columbia Natural Resources, Ground Resources and Exco Resources PA. The full ranking is in the table on this page.
Operators filed 34 drilling permits targeting the Appalachian Basin in the last 24 months — a live measure of current activity, per WVDEP OOG records.
Operators filed 34 new drilling permits targeting the Appalachian Basin in West Virginia over the last 24 months. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Appalachian Basin drilling, per WVDEP OOG records (as of 2026-08-24).
Appalachian Basin activity in West Virginia currently spans 6,609 wells on record and 490 active operators, led by Diversified Production LLC, Cabot Oil & Gas, Columbia Natural Resources, Ground Resources and Exco Resources PA, with 34 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months — refreshed monthly from West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Oil and Gas (WVDEP OOG) well-header records (as of 2026-08-24).
The most active Appalachian Basin counties in West Virginia are Roane, Kanawha, Lincoln, Wayne, Wyoming.
Value depends on your net mineral acres or royalty decimal, the operator, the remaining drilling locations, and current oil and gas prices. Buckhead Energy checks your tract against current Appalachian Basin well and permit data and puts a free, no-obligation written offer in writing — this page is informational only, not a valuation.
Cite this dataset
Permanently archived and citable via a DOI on Zenodo (CERN), under a CC BY 4.0 license. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21442884 · View on Zenodo
License & attribution: This data is licensed CC BY 4.0. You are free to share and adapt it, including commercially, provided you credit “Buckhead Energy” and link back to this page or the DOI above.
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Formation: Appalachian Basin
State: West Virginia
Total wells: 6,609
Active operators: 490
Permits 24mo: 34
Last refresh: 2026-08-24
Free written offers on Appalachian Basin mineral rights in West Virginia.
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