2,669 wells across 610 active operators, with 2 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months.
Refreshed monthly from WOGCC well-header records. Data current as of 2026-08-23.
Quick answer: The Bighorn Basin formation in Wyoming has 2,669 wells on record across 610 active operators, with 2 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-23). Its most active operators by well count are Merit Energy Company, Marathon Oil Company, Contango Resources Company, Breitburn Operating and Citation Oil & Gas. Compiled from Wyoming Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Bighorn Basin formation in Wyoming:
| # | Operator | Wells in Bighorn Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merit Energy Company | 406 |
| 2 | Marathon Oil Company | 271 |
| 3 | Contango Resources Company | 127 |
| 4 | Breitburn Operating | 63 |
| 5 | Citation Oil & Gas | 61 |
| 6 | Bpx Operating Company | 53 |
| 7 | Endeavor Energy Resources | 34 |
| 8 | Kcs Mountain Resources | 33 |
| 9 | Natural Gas Processing Company | 33 |
| 10 | Coronado Oil Company | 32 |
The Wyoming counties with the most Bighorn Basin activity:
Hot Springs, Big Horn, Park, Washakie, Sheridan
The Bighorn Basin is one of Wyoming's active oil and gas plays, with 2,669 wells on file across 610 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 2 drilling permits targeting the Bighorn 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 Hot Springs, Big Horn, Park, Washakie, Sheridan, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Bighorn 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.
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2,669 wells target the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming, worked by 610 active operators, per WOGCC well-header records (as of 2026-08-23).
By well count, the most active Bighorn Basin operators in Wyoming are Merit Energy Company, Marathon Oil Company, Contango Resources Company, Breitburn Operating and Citation Oil & Gas. The full ranking is in the table on this page.
Operators filed 2 drilling permits targeting the Bighorn Basin in the last 24 months — a live measure of current activity, per WOGCC records.
Operators filed 2 new drilling permits targeting the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming over the last 24 months. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Bighorn Basin drilling, per WOGCC records (as of 2026-08-23).
Bighorn Basin activity in Wyoming currently spans 2,669 wells on record and 610 active operators, led by Merit Energy Company, Marathon Oil Company, Contango Resources Company, Breitburn Operating and Citation Oil & Gas, with 2 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months — refreshed monthly from Wyoming Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) well-header records (as of 2026-08-23).
The most active Bighorn Basin counties in Wyoming are Hot Springs, Big Horn, Park, Washakie, Sheridan.
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 Bighorn 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.
Get a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and the current Bighorn Basin activity in your area.
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Formation: Bighorn Basin
State: Wyoming
Total wells: 2,669
Active operators: 610
Permits 24mo: 2
Last refresh: 2026-08-23