Explore recorded well counts, operator rankings, drilling permits, recent spuds and new producers in this Texas activity snapshot. Each table covers a different group of records; check its source date and reporting window before comparing counts.
Data as of September 17, 2026 Source: Texas Railroad Commission · refreshed daily
Quick answer: Texas oil and gas activity (as of September 17, 2026): 3,232 drilling permits in the last 24 months, 738 wells spudded in the last 90 days, 1,000 new producers in six months, and 2,000 wells spudded with no reported first production (the DUC inventory). Oxy is the most active operator by wells operated, Wichita County the most active county by wells on record, and the Barnett the leading formation by wells on record. Every figure is compiled from Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) records.
As of September 17, 2026, Texas had 100 active oil & gas operators across 247 counties and 41 formations, led by Oxy with 25,879 wells, with 3,232 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months and 2,000 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) wells in inventory, per Texas Railroad Commission well-header records.
The operator ranking counts wells associated with the operators in that dataset. It does not filter the total to currently producing wells. Permits, spuds and new producers have separate reporting windows, and their counts should not be added together.
For statewide well types and statuses, select a month in the RRC Well Distribution Tables. For reported oil and gas volumes, use the RRC monthly production reports. A report's publication date and production month can differ.
For a specific area, explore Texas county activity or county production records. If you are considering a sale, you can start an inquiry about your mineral interests.
The 10 largest operators of record in Texas, by total well count. See the full top-100 leaderboard →
| # | Operator | Wells | Permits 24mo | DUCs | Top Formation | Top County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oxy | 25,879 | 392 | 1,601 | Permian Basin | Yoakum |
| 2 | Hilcorp Energy Company | 25,697 | 121 | 964 | Permian Basin | Andrews |
| 3 | Pioneer Natural Resources | 19,455 | 1,115 | 1,088 | Permian Basin | Midland |
| 4 | Diamondback Energy | 13,786 | 1,102 | 720 | Permian Basin | Martin |
| 5 | Basa Resources | 11,668 | 15 | 149 | Travis Peak | Gregg |
| 6 | Eog Resources | 11,192 | 540 | 876 | Austin Chalk | Gonzales |
| 7 | Exxon Mobil | 10,010 | 20 | 3,845 | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) | Kleberg |
| 8 | Apache | 9,693 | 345 | 942 | Permian Basin | Reagan |
| 9 | Scout Energy Management | 8,782 | 49 | 153 | Thirty-One Carbonate-Chert | Crockett |
| 10 | Bcemach Iii LLC | 8,407 | 13 | 268 | Permian Basin | Mitchell |
The 10 most-active oil and gas counties in Texas. See the full county rankings →
| County | Total Wells | Permits 24mo | Spuds 90d | DUCs | Top Operator | Top Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | 32,948 | 36 | 1 | 1,552 | Waggoner Operating,LLC | Palo Duro Basin |
| Andrews | 32,118 | 513 | 27 | 1,893 | Hilcorp Energy Company | Permian Basin |
| Ector | 29,496 | 281 | 26 | 1,443 | Oxy | Permian Basin |
| Archer | 21,948 | 93 | 3 | 2,057 | Pe - Texas, LLC | Barnett |
| Midland | 21,845 | 1,375 | 48 | 1,643 | Pioneer Natural Resources | Permian Basin |
| Howard | 19,190 | 394 | 21 | 1,532 | Grayrock Energy Ii LLC | Permian Basin |
| Martin | 19,112 | 1,204 | 36 | 1,834 | Diamondback Energy | Permian Basin |
| Upton | 18,684 | 946 | 39 | 1,262 | Pioneer Natural Resources | Thirty-One Carbonate-Chert |
| Young | 18,186 | 27 | 1 | 2,525 | Just Oil & Gas | Barnett |
| Pecos | 17,990 | 241 | 2 | 1,759 | Kinder Morgan Production | Thirty-One Carbonate-Chert |
The 10 most-active formations and plays in Texas. See all active Texas formations →
| Formation | Wells | Active Operators | Permits 24mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnett | 156,159 | 10,392 | 95 |
| Permian Basin | 134,583 | 7,855 | 2,526 |
| Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) | 101,861 | 7,111 | 3,152 |
| Austin Chalk | 94,015 | 6,449 | 148 |
| Thirty-One Carbonate-Chert | 76,706 | 2,144 | 294 |
| Travis Peak | 41,346 | 1,976 | 112 |
| Granite Wash | 33,337 | 1,355 | 21 |
| Spraberry | 33,223 | 921 | 4,829 |
| Palo Duro Basin | 30,836 | 1,841 | 134 |
| San Andres | 30,560 | 1,063 | 320 |
| Permit Date | Well | API | County | Formation | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-04 | Halsey 4-45 C 1jm | 4231747411 |
Martin | Permian Basin | Diamondback |
| 2026-09-04 | Merchant Emmitt West C 14-25 4403h | 4238342462 |
Reagan | Permian Basin | De Central Operating LLC |
| 2026-09-04 | Halsey 4-45 D 1wa | 4231747412 |
Martin | Permian Basin | Diamondback |
| 2026-09-04 | Halsey 4-45 E 1ls | 4231747413 |
Martin | — | Diamondback |
| 2026-09-04 | Halsey 4-45 B 2ls | 4231747410 |
Martin | Permian Basin | Diamondback |
| 2026-09-04 | Chevy C 6h | 4238942319 |
Reeves | Permian Basin | Permian Resources Operating LLC |
| 2026-09-04 | Chevy D 4h | 4238942320 |
Reeves | Permian Basin | Permian Resources Operating LLC |
| 2026-09-04 | Chevy B 3h | 4238942318 |
Reeves | Permian Basin | Permian Resources Operating LLC |
| 2026-09-04 | Chevy A 5h | 4238942317 |
Reeves | — | Permian Resources Operating LLC |
| 2026-09-04 | Merchant Emmitt West E 14-25 4305h | 4238342464 |
Reagan | Permian Basin | De Central Operating LLC |
| Spud Date | Days Ago | Well | Operator | County | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Camryn D 4h | Hibernia Resources Iv, LLC | Irion | — |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | North Riley Unit 2310h | Bcemach Iii LLC | Gaines | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Cleveland A 601 35h | Riley Permian Operating | Yoakum | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Kolenda B 2h | Warwickartemis LLC | Wilson | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Fee 'Bv' 2704dn | Fasken Oil And Ranch | Andrews | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | B And B 54-11 2 | Ngl Water Solutions | Andrews | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Bigby 22b 2h | Pioneer Natural Resources | Glasscock | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Link Vj Ranch 26-23 M 752h | Eog Resources | Loving | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | South Rockfish C 3wb | Petroplex Energy | Reeves | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Barnhart (Ef) 206h | Marathon Oil Company | Gonzales | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| First Prod | Days Producing | Well | Operator | County | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Bfmt West 303h | Eog Resources | Webb | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Hr Venom 320j 5hd | Ovintiv USA INC | Martin | Permian Basin |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Ac360 Arkansas 3h Mipa Unit 3h | Tep Barnett | Tarrant | Strawn Basin |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Evergreen 1e64 64h | Vtx Energy Operating LLC | Reeves | Permian Basin |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Ruby Dodd Hv A 12hh | R Lacy Services | Panola | East Texas Basin |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Chupacabra State 56-2-45-6 F 14h | Anadarko Petroleum | Reeves | Permian Basin |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Leopard Unit 5a32 32h | Vtx Energy Operating LLC | Reeves | Permian Basin |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Fred Gawlik C 3h | Gulftex Energy Iii | Karnes | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Gahan C 3h | Eog Resources | Gonzales | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-06-01 | 106 | Salt Creek Field Unit C440 | Oxy | Kent | Permian Basin |
| Spud Date | Days Since Spud | Well | Operator | County | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | North Riley Unit 2310h | Bcemach Iii LLC | Gaines | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | D & C 1 | Hominy Consulting, LLC | Calhoun | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Barnhart (Ef) 206h | Marathon Oil Company | Gonzales | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Shock-N-Awe Ul 19-0-5-41 N 508h | Anadarko Petroleum | Loving | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Plomero-Ivas-Ts Usw B 2 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | Live Oak | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Rawhide State 1tu | U S Energy Development | Reeves | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | El Cruderino 3313h | Greenlake Energy Operating LLC | Loving | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Bigby 22b 2h | Pioneer Natural Resources | Glasscock | Permian Basin |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Flatonia North B 1 B 1h | Rosewood Resources | Fayette | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
| 2026-09-04 | 11 | Hope-Saunders B Sa B 1 | Marathon Oil Company | De Witt | Gulf Coast Basin (La - TX) |
Whether you're sitting on Permian premium acreage, an Eagle Ford lease, or a legacy East Texas tract — get a free written offer based on your specific tract and current operator activity.
Get Your Free Written OfferSource: Texas Railroad Commission well-header and production filings.
Refresh cadence: Daily. Data current as of September 17, 2026.
What's tracked: Permits filed in the last 24 months, wells spudded in the last 90 days, wells with first production in the last 6 months, drilled-uncompleted (DUC) wells, top operators by total well count, top counties by activity, and active formations/plays.
Disclaimer: Data is provided as a public-service reference. Buckhead Energy is not affiliated with the operators listed unless explicitly stated.
The operator, county, and formation figures above are compiled from our openly-licensed well-header dataset, permanently archived on Zenodo (CERN) under CC BY 4.0 — free to reproduce and adapt with credit to Buckhead Energy.
Top 100 Texas Operators Leaderboard
Top 500 Producing Wells in Texas
All Recent Texas Drilling Permits
All Recently Spudded Texas Wells
All Newly Producing Texas Wells
Texas County Drilling Activity Rankings
Texas Formations & Plays Directory
The answer depends on the reporting month and which well types and statuses are included. This snapshot sums well counts for the operators in its ranking; it is not a statewide count of currently producing wells. For statewide categories, use the RRC Well Distribution Tables and select a reporting month.
These are separate record groups. A drilling permit, a reported spud date and a reported first-production date describe different stages. The new-producers table covers reported first production within its six-month window; it does not count every producing well in Texas.
As of September 17, 2026, this dashboard tracks 100 active Texas operators ranked by well count, led by Oxy, Hilcorp Energy Company, Pioneer Natural Resources. See the Top 100 Texas Operators leaderboard for the full ranking.
About 3,232 Texas drilling permits were filed in the trailing 24 months, per Texas Railroad Commission records (as of September 17, 2026).
A DUC is a "drilled but uncompleted" well — drilled but not yet hydraulically fractured or put on production. As of September 17, 2026, Texas had about 2,000 DUC wells in inventory. DUCs are a leading indicator of near-term completion and production activity.
It spans roughly 247 producing counties and 41 active formations and plays statewide — from the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford to legacy East Texas — aggregated from TX RRC well-header records.
It is refreshed daily from Texas Railroad Commission well-header and production filings. The current data is as of September 17, 2026.
Look up your operator in the operator directory to see their activity, then request a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, formation, and decimal interest.
State: Texas
Operators: 100
Counties: 247
Formations: 41
Permits 24mo: 3,232
DUCs: 2,000
Data as of: September 17, 2026
Free written offers on Texas mineral rights — anywhere in the state.
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