The 100 largest oil and gas operators in the United States — ranked by total wells operated nationwide, with wells that have produced and state footprint for each. Click any operator for its full profile.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Refreshed monthly. Data as of 2026-09-28.
Quick answer: By wells operated, Chevron is the largest oil and gas operator in the United States with 75,630 wells on record, followed by Diversified Production LLC (57,994) and Aera Energy (57,838). Ranked from Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data (as of 2026-09-28). This is an operated-well-count ranking, not a revenue or market-cap ranking.
As of 2026-09-28, the largest oil & gas operator in the United States by wells operated is Chevron with 75,630 wells across 24 states, ahead of Diversified Production LLC (57,994) — per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data.
| # | Operator | Wells (US) | Producing | States | Top Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | 75,630 | 44,110 | CA, TX, LA, NM +20 | Monterey-Temblor |
| 2 | Diversified Production LLC | 57,994 | 56,469 | PA, WV, OH, TX +6 | Marcellus |
| 3 | Aera Energy | 57,838 | 39,151 | CA | Monterey-Temblor |
| 4 | Hilcorp Energy Company | 54,110 | 49,092 | TX, NM, AK, LA +6 | Wilcox Lobo |
| 5 | ExxonMobil | 39,104 | 15,922 | TX, OK, LA, NM +25 | Vicksburg |
| 6 | EOG Resources | 38,693 | 16,881 | WY, TX, NM, OK +17 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 7 | Oxy | 34,654 | 25,873 | TX, NM, KS, OK +20 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 8 | Pioneer Natural Resources | 20,621 | 16,669 | TX, LA, CO, KS +8 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 9 | Scout Energy Management | 18,768 | 16,909 | TX, KS, UT, CO +4 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 10 | Devon Energy | 18,104 | 8,759 | WY, NM, TX, OK +16 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 11 | Diamondback Energy | 17,567 | 14,420 | TX, OK, WY, KS +7 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 12 | Apache | 16,993 | 10,633 | TX, LA, NM, OK +20 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 13 | Chesapeake Energy | 16,810 | 4,117 | OK, TX, PA, WY +15 | Woodford |
| 14 | Marathon Oil Company | 16,420 | 6,491 | TX, IL, WY, ND +18 | Austin Chalk |
| 15 | Texaco | 16,153 | 1,949 | LA, TX, IL, KY +26 | Travis Peak |
| 16 | Conocophillips Company | 15,411 | 5,206 | TX, AK, OK, NM +18 | Wilcox Lobo |
| 17 | Anadarko Petroleum | 15,396 | 4,120 | WY, TX, KS, CO +17 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 18 | Shell Oil Company | 15,334 | 1,866 | LA, CA, MI, TX +28 | Austin Chalk |
| 19 | California Resources Production | 15,280 | 8,939 | CA | Monterey-Temblor |
| 20 | Pennzoil Production Company | 15,217 | 1,077 | PA, NY, TX, LA +18 | Utica |
| 21 | Noble Energy | 15,167 | 9,503 | CO, WY, TX, OK +15 | Muddy J Sand |
| 22 | Citation Oil & Gas | 15,085 | 8,113 | OK, TX, WY, IL +10 | Woodford |
| 23 | Quaker State | 14,999 | 256 | PA, NY, WV | Utica |
| 24 | Bpx Operating Company | 12,762 | 6,754 | TX, WY, OK, AK +10 | Austin Chalk |
| 25 | Berry Petroleum Company | 11,509 | 7,750 | CA, UT, CO, TX +9 | Monterey-Temblor |
| 26 | Bcemach Iii LLC | 11,477 | 10,625 | TX, OK, KS, NM | Granite Wash |
| 27 | BASA Resources | 11,455 | 11,106 | TX, OK | Travis Peak |
| 28 | Enervest Operating | 11,228 | 8,332 | VA, LA, OH, TX +10 | Berea-Murrysville |
| 29 | Merit Energy Company | 11,174 | 9,186 | TX, WY, OK, AR +11 | Vicksburg |
| 30 | Sentinel Peak Resources Ca | 10,943 | 7,768 | CA | Monterey-Temblor |
| 31 | Kerr-McGee | 10,936 | 9,092 | CO, LA, TX, OK +13 | Muddy J Sand |
| 32 | The Ohio Oil | 10,783 | 0 | IL, TX | New Albany |
| 33 | Continental Resources | 9,951 | 6,714 | ND, OK, WY, TX +14 | Bakken |
| 34 | Burk Royalty | 9,778 | 8,647 | TX, OK, NM, WY +3 | Granite Wash |
| 35 | EQT Production Company | 9,157 | 5,194 | PA, WV, KY, VA +2 | Marcellus |
| 36 | PDC Energy | 8,937 | 6,929 | CO, TX, KS, OH | Muddy J Sand |
| 37 | Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) | 8,816 | 5,987 | WY, TX, MT, OK +4 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 38 | COG Operating | 8,466 | 6,175 | TX, NM | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 39 | Phillips Petroleum Company | 7,999 | 1,489 | TX, PA, IL, LA +26 | Granite Wash |
| 40 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | 7,674 | 5,098 | TX, NM, ND, OK +8 | Austin Chalk |
| 41 | Eiger Operating Company, LLC | 7,667 | 7,172 | KS, OK | — |
| 42 | California Resources Elk Hills LLC | 7,575 | 6,775 | CA | Monterey-Temblor |
| 43 | Southern Community | 7,458 | 2,662 | KS, TX, LA, MS +23 | Excello-Mulky |
| 44 | Upp Operating LLC | 7,411 | 7,335 | TX | Ozona Canyon |
| 45 | Ows Acquisition Co. LLC | 7,267 | 7,239 | OH, PA, WV | Utica |
| 46 | Union Oil Company Of California | 7,265 | 1,477 | CA, IL, TX, MI +19 | Monterey |
| 47 | Anschutz Exploration | 7,259 | 548 | WY, UT, CO, MT +16 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 48 | Formentera Operations LLC | 7,034 | 6,606 | TX, ND, OK, LA +1 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 49 | Mobil Oil | 6,803 | 856 | TX, CA, LA, IL +20 | Vicksburg |
| 50 | Ovintiv USA Inc. | 6,802 | 4,058 | TX, OK, UT, WY +3 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 51 | Urban Oil & Gas Group | 6,682 | 6,280 | AL, TX, WY, UT +6 | Floyd-Neal |
| 52 | Mewbourne Oil Company | 6,609 | 4,741 | NM, TX, OK, KS | Avalon-Bone Spring |
| 53 | Amoco Production Company | 6,432 | 1,540 | TX, LA, CO, WY +21 | Travis Peak |
| 54 | Kinder Morgan Production | 6,267 | 5,024 | TX, NE, NM, KS +1 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 55 | Coterra Energy Inc. | 6,218 | 4,024 | NM, PA, OK, TX +1 | Avalon-Bone Spring |
| 56 | Denbury Onshore | 5,754 | 4,249 | MS, TX, WY, MT +3 | Austin Chalk |
| 57 | RJ Energy | 5,575 | 3,579 | KS, TX | Excello-Mulky |
| 58 | Samson Resources Company | 5,458 | 1,093 | WY, TX, OK, LA +16 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 59 | Carbon Creek Energy | 5,316 | 5,248 | WY | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 60 | Pocahontas Gas | 5,298 | 4,733 | VA, WV | Marcellus |
| 61 | R2q Operating | 5,134 | 4,885 | TX, OK | Barnett |
| 62 | Gulf Oil | 5,088 | 364 | LA, TX, IL, MS +21 | Travis Peak |
| 63 | Texas Petroleum Investment Company | 4,997 | 4,331 | LA, TX, MS, AL +2 | Austin Chalk |
| 64 | Permian Resources Operating LLC | 4,857 | 3,744 | TX, NM | Avalon-Bone Spring |
| 65 | Sun Explorationproduction Company | 4,596 | 426 | TX, LA, KY, CA +13 | Vicksburg |
| 66 | Humble Oil And Refining Company | 4,592 | 137 | LA, TX, MS, IL +18 | Austin Chalk |
| 67 | The Texas Company | 4,509 | 6 | IL, AR, KY, TX +8 | Cotton Valley |
| 68 | Range Resources | 4,465 | 2,205 | PA, OH, WV, VA +2 | Marcellus |
| 69 | Columbia Gas Transmission | 4,444 | 346 | OH, WV, PA, NY +1 | Medina-Clinton-Tuscarora |
| 70 | Bkv Barnett LLC | 4,442 | 4,395 | TX | Barnett |
| 71 | Colt Energy | 4,362 | 2,111 | KS, MO, MS, LA | Excello-Mulky |
| 72 | Blackbeard Operating | 4,267 | 3,625 | TX, OK, NM, AR | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 73 | E & B Natural Resources Management | 4,225 | 2,838 | CA, WY, KS, TX | Monterey |
| 74 | Pure Oil Company | 4,225 | 16 | IL, MI, KY, AR +16 | New Albany |
| 75 | Whiting Petroleum Corp. | 4,192 | 2,602 | ND, CO, TX, OK +10 | Bakken |
| 76 | Tidelands Oil Production Company | 4,177 | 1,654 | CA, TX | Monterey |
| 77 | State Fund Plugging | 4,174 | 217 | OK | Excello-Mulky |
| 78 | Lance Oil & Gas Company | 4,083 | 2,332 | WY, NM, CO, TX +2 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 79 | Waggoner Operating,LLC | 4,035 | 3,862 | TX | Barnett |
| 80 | Eagleridge Operating | 4,022 | 3,920 | TX, UT | Barnett |
| 81 | Own Resources Operating | 3,951 | 3,889 | CO, KS | Niobrara East |
| 82 | Two P Partners LLC | 3,895 | 3,199 | TX | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 83 | Contango Resources Company | 3,792 | 3,055 | WY, OK, NM, TX +2 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 84 | PureWest Resources | 3,778 | 3,530 | WY | Mesaverde-Lance |
| 85 | Wold Energy Partners | 3,778 | 52 | WY, CO, UT, NE +2 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 86 | Witco | 3,770 | 65 | PA, OH, NY, WV | Utica |
| 87 | Highmark Energy Operating | 3,724 | 3,417 | TX, LA, MS, OK | Cleveland |
| 88 | Ashland Oil & Refining | 3,699 | 210 | KY, IL, LA, TX +7 | Berea-Murrysville |
| 89 | Large Operating LLC | 3,686 | 3,385 | TX | Granite Wash |
| 90 | Crowheart Energy | 3,628 | 3,349 | WY, CO | Mesaverde-Lance-Lewis |
| 91 | SM Energy Company | 3,611 | 2,557 | TX, UT, WY, OK +8 | Austin Chalk |
| 92 | Huber J M | 3,559 | 1,775 | WY, TX, CO, KS +7 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 93 | Ohio Oil Company | 3,551 | 47 | IL, MI, NE, KY +13 | New Albany |
| 94 | Carter Oil Company | 3,533 | 58 | MI, IL, KY, MT +9 | Antrim |
| 95 | Atlas Operating | 3,511 | 3,185 | TX, KS, OK, NM +1 | Eagle Ford |
| 96 | Lewis Petro Properties | 3,420 | 2,932 | TX | Olmos |
| 97 | Presidio Petroleum | 3,392 | 3,266 | TX, OK, ND, LA +6 | Granite Wash |
| 98 | Nytis Exploration Company | 3,365 | 3,261 | WV, KY, PA, OH | Marcellus |
| 99 | Bcemach | 3,364 | 3,180 | OK, KS, WY | Woodford |
| 100 | Magnolia Petroleum Company | 3,336 | 177 | IL, OK, AR, MS +9 | New Albany |
Source: Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data, aggregated nationally per operator-of-record.
Ranking: Total US wells operated. Producing wells have a first-production date on file. Drilling activity (permits, spuds, DUCs) is published by state and county only, never per operator. Related corporate entities are rolled up where a single operator page covers them.
Why it matters: The operator behind your wells shapes upkeep and the reliability of royalty payments. National scale is a strong proxy for financial strength and staying power.
Refresh cadence: Monthly. Data as of 2026-09-28.
By wells operated, Chevron is the largest oil and gas operator in the United States, with 75,630 wells on record per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Note that "biggest" by revenue or market capitalization can rank differently — this measures operated well count.
The top 10 operators by operated well count are: Chevron, Diversified Production LLC, Aera Energy, Hilcorp Energy Company, Exxonmobil, EOG Resources, Oxy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Scout Energy Management, Devon Energy. The full top-100 ranking with well and producing-well counts is in the leaderboard below.
Chevron operates the most wells in the United States at 75,630, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data.
This leaderboard ranks the top 100 operators active in the United States by total well count. Many more file with the regulator; these are the largest by operated wells.
By wells operated — the count of wells under each company's current operator-of-record designation in the public oil and gas data Buckhead Energy analyzes. It is not a revenue, production-volume, or market-capitalization ranking.
Drill into any state or basin for its own ranked operator leaderboard:
States: Texas · Oklahoma · New Mexico · North Dakota · Colorado · Wyoming · California · Kansas · Mississippi · Utah · Montana · Ohio · Illinois · West Virginia
Basins: Permian · Anadarko · Williston (Bakken) · DJ · Powder River · San Joaquin · East Texas · Arkla (Haynesville) · Illinois Basin · Michigan · Bend Arch / Fort Worth
US Mineral & Drilling Activity Index → · All datasets & live prices →
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Operators ranked: 100
Combined wells: 1,087,772
Last refresh: 2026-09-28
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