3,330 wells across 701 recorded operators, with <3 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 Bighorn Basin formation in Wyoming has 3,330 wells on record across 701 recorded operators, with — drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Merit Energy Company, Marathon Oil Company, Contango Resources Company, Citation Oil & Gas and Bpx Operating 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 Bighorn Basin formation in Wyoming:
| # | Operator | Wells in Bighorn Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merit Energy Company | 471 |
| 2 | Marathon Oil Company | 278 |
| 3 | Contango Resources Company | 224 |
| 4 | Citation Oil & Gas | 97 |
| 5 | Bpx Operating Company | 94 |
| 6 | Conocophillips Company | 62 |
| 7 | Breitburn Operating | 59 |
| 8 | Bareto Energy, LLC | 58 |
| 9 | Howell Petroleum | 42 |
| 10 | Husky Oil Company | 42 |
The Wyoming counties with the most Bighorn Basin activity:
Park, Big Horn, Hot Springs, Washakie, Sheridan
The Bighorn Basin is not among the Wyoming formations tracked separately in the yearly permit mix, so only statewide permit counts are shown.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 616 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 566 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 459 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 581 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 696 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 505 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 456 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,197 | — | — | — |
Share of each year’s Wyoming drilling permits by target formation, for the formations with the most permits.
| Year | Niobrara- Mowry | Powder River Basin | Mesaverde-Lance | Muddy J Sand | Green River Basin | Mesaverde-Lance-Lewis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.8% | 70% | — | — | 16.4% | — |
| 2025 | 6.5% | 59.4% | 0.9% | — | 19.8% | — |
| 2024 | 17.2% | 52.5% | 1.1% | — | 9.2% | 1.7% |
| 2023 | 15% | 42.3% | 1% | 7.6% | 13.3% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 33.9% | 26.4% | 6.8% | 10.8% | 4.3% | 2.3% |
| 2021 | 59.4% | 4.6% | 17.8% | 13.9% | — | 2.6% |
| 2020 | 69.7% | 5% | 2.6% | 15.1% | — | 3.1% |
| 2019 | 56% | 6.5% | 17.3% | 9.4% | — | 6.7% |
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 Bighorn Basin is a formation/play group recorded in Wyoming, with 3,330 wells on file across 701 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed <3 drilling permits targeting the Bighorn 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.
3,330 wells target the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming, worked by 701 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
The Bighorn Basin operators with the most wells on record in Wyoming are Merit Energy Company, Marathon Oil Company, Contango Resources Company, Citation Oil & Gas and Bpx Operating Company. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-01.
Operators filed — drilling permits targeting the Bighorn 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 — new drilling permits targeting the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming 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.
Bighorn Basin activity in Wyoming includes 3,330 wells on record and 701 recorded operators, with — 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 Bighorn Basin in Wyoming are Park, Big Horn, Hot Springs, Washakie, Sheridan. 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: Bighorn Basin
State: Wyoming
Total wells: 3,330
Recorded operators: 701
Permits 24mo: <3
Summary date: 2026-11-01
