The 100 largest oil and gas operators in the United States — ranked by total wells operated nationwide, with producing wells, recent permits, DUC inventory, and state footprint for each. Click any operator for its full profile.
Compiled from state regulator well-header records across the US. Refreshed monthly. Data as of 2026-08-06 · CC BY 4.0.
Quick answer: By wells operated, Chevron is the largest oil and gas operator in the United States with 75,591 wells on record, followed by Diversified Production LLC (59,660) and Aera Energy (57,816). Ranked from state oil & gas regulator well-header records (as of 2026-08-06) and refreshed monthly. This is an operated-well-count ranking, not a revenue or market-cap ranking.
As of 2026-08-06, the largest oil & gas operator in the United States by wells operated is Chevron with 75,591 wells across 24 states, ahead of Diversified Production LLC (59,660) — per state regulator well-header records aggregated by Buckhead Energy.
| # | Operator | Wells (US) | Producing | Permits 24mo | DUCs | States | Top Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | 75,591 | 44,338 | 3,078 | 12,035 | CA, TX, LA, NM +20 | Monterey-Temblor |
| 2 | Diversified Production LLC | 59,660 | 58,128 | 235 | 483 | PA, WV, OH, TX +6 | Marcellus |
| 3 | Aera Energy | 57,816 | 39,121 | 2,220 | 7,401 | CA, MI | Monterey-Temblor |
| 4 | Hilcorp Energy Company | 51,803 | 47,159 | 975 | 2,740 | TX, NM, AK, LA +6 | Wilcox Lobo |
| 5 | ExxonMobil | 39,246 | 16,119 | 991 | 10,201 | TX, OK, LA, NM +25 | Vicksburg |
| 6 | EOG Resources | 38,517 | 16,745 | 1,622 | 3,690 | WY, TX, NM, OK +17 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 7 | Oxy | 36,862 | 28,222 | 938 | 3,878 | TX, NM, KS, OK +20 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 8 | Scout Energy Management | 20,798 | 19,029 | 116 | 924 | TX, KS, UT, CO +4 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 9 | Pioneer Natural Resources | 20,504 | 16,701 | 1,193 | 1,289 | TX, LA, CO, KS +8 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 10 | Devon Energy | 17,993 | 8,720 | 1,123 | 1,934 | WY, NM, TX, OK +16 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 11 | Diamondback Energy | 17,442 | 14,327 | 1,189 | 1,387 | TX, OK, WY, KS +7 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 12 | Apache | 16,986 | 10,607 | 345 | 3,973 | TX, LA, NM, OK +20 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 13 | Chesapeake Energy | 16,805 | 4,066 | 1 | 5,658 | OK, TX, PA, WY +15 | Woodford |
| 14 | Marathon Oil Company | 16,399 | 6,559 | 255 | 2,606 | TX, IL, WY, ND +18 | Austin Chalk |
| 15 | Texaco | 16,152 | 2,926 | 0 | 6,851 | LA, TX, IL, KY +26 | Travis Peak |
| 16 | Conocophillips Company | 15,404 | 5,185 | 216 | 5,003 | TX, AK, OK, NM +18 | Wilcox Lobo |
| 17 | Anadarko Petroleum | 15,357 | 4,011 | 562 | 2,717 | WY, TX, KS, CO +17 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 18 | Shell Oil Company | 15,331 | 1,966 | 6 | 4,572 | LA, CA, MI, TX +28 | Austin Chalk |
| 19 | California Resources Production | 15,274 | 8,929 | 764 | 1,327 | CA | Monterey-Temblor |
| 20 | Pennzoil Production Company | 15,217 | 1,104 | 0 | 3,271 | PA, NY, TX, LA +18 | Utica |
| 21 | Noble Energy | 15,164 | 9,466 | 169 | 1,146 | CO, WY, TX, OK +15 | Muddy J Sand |
| 22 | Citation Oil & Gas | 15,083 | 8,116 | 85 | 4,785 | OK, TX, WY, IL +10 | Woodford |
| 23 | Quaker State | 14,999 | 256 | 0 | 855 | PA, NY, WV | Utica |
| 24 | Bpx Operating Company | 12,740 | 6,721 | 445 | 3,287 | TX, WY, OK, AK +10 | Austin Chalk |
| 25 | Merit Energy Company | 12,115 | 10,072 | 17 | 1,343 | TX, OK, WY, AR +11 | Vicksburg |
| 26 | BASA Resources | 11,686 | 11,339 | 16 | 156 | TX, OK | Travis Peak |
| 27 | Berry Petroleum Company | 11,511 | 7,750 | 846 | 993 | CA, UT, CO, TX +10 | Monterey-Temblor |
| 28 | Bcemach Iii LLC | 11,419 | 10,625 | 54 | 523 | TX, OK, KS, NM | Granite Wash |
| 29 | Enervest Operating | 11,228 | 8,342 | 32 | 347 | VA, LA, OH, TX +10 | Berea-Murrysville |
| 30 | Sentinel Peak Resources Ca | 10,943 | 7,766 | 765 | 1,293 | CA | Monterey-Temblor |
| 31 | Kerr-McGee | 10,936 | 9,070 | 287 | 674 | CO, LA, TX, OK +13 | Muddy J Sand |
| 32 | The Ohio Oil | 10,783 | 0 | 0 | 0 | IL, TX | New Albany |
| 33 | Continental Resources | 9,909 | 6,713 | 538 | 1,067 | ND, OK, WY, TX +14 | Bakken |
| 34 | Burk Royalty | 9,780 | 8,631 | 62 | 523 | TX, OK, NM, WY +3 | Granite Wash |
| 35 | EQT Production Company | 9,454 | 5,472 | 328 | 580 | PA, WV, KY, VA +2 | Marcellus |
| 36 | PDC Energy | 8,937 | 6,905 | 157 | 323 | CO, TX, KS, OH | Muddy J Sand |
| 37 | Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) | 8,835 | 5,981 | 315 | 383 | WY, TX, MT, OK +4 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 38 | COG Operating | 8,421 | 6,137 | 427 | 364 | TX, NM | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 39 | Phillips Petroleum Company | 7,996 | 1,537 | 8 | 2,383 | TX, PA, IL, LA +26 | Granite Wash |
| 40 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | 7,655 | 5,003 | 615 | 913 | TX, NM, ND, OK +8 | Austin Chalk |
| 41 | California Resources Elk Hills LLC | 7,575 | 6,776 | 912 | 352 | CA | Monterey-Temblor |
| 42 | Southern Community | 7,454 | 2,689 | 89 | 1,969 | KS, TX, LA, MS +23 | Excello-Mulky |
| 43 | Upp Operating LLC | 7,411 | 7,337 | 19 | 68 | TX | Ozona Canyon |
| 44 | Ows Acquisition Co. LLC | 7,269 | 7,241 | 17 | 20 | OH, PA, WV | Utica |
| 45 | Union Oil Company Of California | 7,259 | 1,477 | 0 | 1,337 | CA, IL, TX, MI +19 | Monterey |
| 46 | Anschutz Exploration | 7,202 | 511 | 351 | 702 | WY, UT, CO, MT +16 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 47 | Formentera Operations LLC | 7,004 | 6,601 | 149 | 236 | TX, ND, OK, LA +1 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 48 | Mobil Oil | 6,802 | 911 | 0 | 2,031 | TX, CA, LA, IL +20 | Vicksburg |
| 49 | Ovintiv USA Inc. | 6,766 | 3,978 | 402 | 1,171 | TX, OK, UT, WY +3 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 50 | Urban Oil & Gas Group | 6,691 | 6,287 | 4 | 279 | AL, TX, WY, UT +6 | Floyd-Neal |
| 51 | Mewbourne Oil Company | 6,551 | 4,677 | 849 | 795 | NM, TX, OK, KS | Avalon-Bone Spring |
| 52 | Amoco Production Company | 6,432 | 1,626 | 0 | 2,390 | TX, LA, CO, WY +21 | Travis Peak |
| 53 | Kinder Morgan Production | 6,264 | 5,161 | 210 | 553 | TX, NE, NM, KS +1 | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 54 | Coterra Energy Inc. | 6,039 | 3,880 | 490 | 604 | NM, PA, OK, TX +1 | Avalon-Bone Spring |
| 55 | Denbury Onshore | 5,904 | 4,407 | 34 | 1,080 | MS, TX, WY, MT +3 | Austin Chalk |
| 56 | RJ Energy | 5,562 | 3,580 | 313 | 1,274 | KS, TX | Excello-Mulky |
| 57 | Samson Resources Company | 5,459 | 1,093 | 4 | 837 | WY, TX, OK, LA +16 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 58 | Carbon Creek Energy | 5,317 | 5,249 | 0 | 63 | WY | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 59 | Pocahontas Gas | 5,293 | 4,733 | 84 | 43 | VA, WV | Marcellus |
| 60 | Gulf Oil | 5,088 | 406 | 0 | 2,544 | LA, TX, IL, MS +21 | Travis Peak |
| 61 | Texas Petroleum Investment Company | 5,000 | 4,414 | 12 | 444 | LA, TX, MS, AL +2 | Austin Chalk |
| 62 | Permian Resources Operating LLC | 4,811 | 3,695 | 1,054 | 465 | TX, NM | Avalon-Bone Spring |
| 63 | Sun Explorationproduction Company | 4,596 | 479 | 0 | 2,077 | TX, LA, KY, CA +13 | Vicksburg |
| 64 | Humble Oil And Refining Company | 4,593 | 96 | 0 | 2,639 | LA, TX, MS, IL +18 | Austin Chalk |
| 65 | The Texas Company | 4,509 | 6 | 0 | 228 | IL, AR, KY, TX +8 | Cotton Valley |
| 66 | Range Resources | 4,456 | 2,179 | 141 | 245 | PA, OH, WV, VA +2 | Marcellus |
| 67 | Bkv Barnett LLC | 4,437 | 4,385 | 52 | 17 | TX | Barnett |
| 68 | Eiger Operating Company, LLC | 4,387 | 4,049 | 16 | 289 | KS, OK | — |
| 69 | Colt Energy | 4,347 | 2,111 | 138 | 1,064 | KS, MO, MS, LA | Excello-Mulky |
| 70 | Blackbeard Operating | 4,266 | 3,609 | 308 | 242 | TX, OK, NM, AR | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 71 | E & B Natural Resources Management | 4,225 | 2,838 | 163 | 475 | CA, WY, KS, TX | Monterey |
| 72 | Pure Oil Company | 4,198 | 16 | 0 | 197 | IL, MI, KY, AR +16 | New Albany |
| 73 | Whiting Petroleum Corp. | 4,192 | 2,594 | 62 | 487 | ND, CO, TX, OK +10 | Bakken |
| 74 | Tidelands Oil Production Company | 4,177 | 1,653 | 73 | 288 | CA, TX | Monterey |
| 75 | State Fund Plugging | 4,150 | 217 | 0 | 77 | OK | Excello-Mulky |
| 76 | Lance Oil & Gas Company | 4,083 | 2,332 | 0 | 282 | WY, NM, TX, CO +2 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 77 | Eagleridge Operating | 4,022 | 3,920 | 2 | 89 | TX, UT | Barnett |
| 78 | Waggoner Operating,LLC | 3,995 | 3,815 | 87 | 110 | TX | Barnett |
| 79 | Own Resources Operating | 3,950 | 3,888 | 0 | 62 | CO, KS | Niobrara East |
| 80 | SM Energy Company | 3,918 | 2,848 | 264 | 412 | TX, UT, WY, OK +8 | Austin Chalk |
| 81 | Contango Resources Company | 3,902 | 3,158 | 1 | 515 | WY, OK, TX, NM +2 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 82 | Two P Partners LLC | 3,894 | 3,303 | 0 | 404 | TX | Thirty-one Carbonate-Chert |
| 83 | PureWest Resources | 3,778 | 3,530 | 108 | 74 | WY | Mesaverde-Lance |
| 84 | Wold Energy Partners | 3,778 | 52 | 0 | 44 | WY, CO, UT, NE +2 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 85 | Witco | 3,770 | 65 | 0 | 501 | PA, OH, NY, WV | Utica |
| 86 | Large Operating LLC | 3,737 | 3,437 | 0 | 19 | TX | Granite Wash |
| 87 | Ashland Oil & Refining | 3,699 | 210 | 0 | 462 | KY, IL, LA, TX +7 | Berea-Murrysville |
| 88 | Highmark Energy Operating | 3,688 | 3,391 | 387 | 262 | TX, LA, MS, OK | Cleveland |
| 89 | Crowheart Energy | 3,587 | 3,349 | 43 | 36 | WY, CO | Mesaverde-Lance-Lewis |
| 90 | Expand Operating LLC | 3,581 | 3,338 | 257 | 146 | LA, WV, OH, TX | Travis Peak |
| 91 | Huber J M | 3,560 | 1,776 | 0 | 376 | WY, TX, CO, KS +7 | Niobrara- Mowry |
| 92 | Ohio Oil Company | 3,551 | 47 | 0 | 367 | IL, MI, NE, KY +13 | New Albany |
| 93 | Carter Oil Company | 3,533 | 58 | 0 | 532 | MI, IL, KY, MT +9 | Antrim |
| 94 | Atlas Operating | 3,508 | 3,188 | 37 | 217 | TX, KS, OK, NM +1 | Eagle Ford |
| 95 | Extex Operating Company | 3,467 | 3,268 | 0 | 124 | TX, LA, NM, AR +1 | Ozona Canyon |
| 96 | Lewis Petro Properties | 3,416 | 2,913 | 95 | 130 | TX | Olmos |
| 97 | Bcemach | 3,363 | 3,178 | 31 | 150 | OK, KS, WY | Woodford |
| 98 | Presidio Petroleum | 3,349 | 3,222 | 0 | 100 | TX, OK, ND, LA +6 | Granite Wash |
| 99 | Magnolia Petroleum Company | 3,336 | 175 | 0 | 264 | IL, OK, AR, MS +9 | New Albany |
| 100 | Murfin Drilling | 3,331 | 1,683 | 46 | 1,332 | KS, CO, ND, SD +2 | Niobrara East |
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Source: State oil & gas regulator well-header records — every well filed with each state's regulator, aggregated nationally per operator-of-record.
Ranking: Total US wells operated. Producing wells have a first-production date on file; recent permits cover the trailing 24 months; DUCs are spudded but not yet producing. Related corporate entities are rolled up where a single operator page covers them.
Why it matters: The operator behind your wells determines drilling pace, 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 2026-08-06. Free to cite with attribution (CC BY 4.0).
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.
By wells operated, Chevron is the largest oil and gas operator in the United States, with 75,591 wells on record per state oil & gas regulator 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, Scout Energy Management, Pioneer Natural Resources, Devon Energy. The full top-100 ranking with permits, DUC inventory, and producing-well counts is in the leaderboard below.
Chevron operates the most wells in the United States at 75,591, with 3,078 permits filed in the last 24 months, per state regulator well-header records.
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 state oil & gas regulator records. 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
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