Texas Drilling Activity by Basin

The Permian Basin of West Texas is the most active drilling region in the United States, spanning the Midland and Delaware sub-basins. Counties like Midland, Martin, Reeves, and Loving anchor a permit pipeline dominated by horizontal oil wells.

Most active: Midland, Reeves, Loving, Glasscock, Martin, Andrews, Gaines, Pecos, Winkler, Ward, Crane, Howard

The Eagle Ford Shale arcs across South Texas from the Mexican border toward the Brazos River, producing oil, condensate, and gas in bands by depth. Karnes, La Salle, Webb, and DeWitt counties lead drilling activity in the play.

Most active: Upton, Reagan, Irion, Shackelford, Taylor, Nolan, Fisher, Crockett, Throckmorton, Callahan, Jones, Runnels

The onshore Gulf Coast region runs from the Rio Grande Valley to the Louisiana line, mixing conventional oil and gas with saltwater disposal, gas storage, and emerging carbon-storage projects along the coastal corridor.

Most active: Webb, Karnes, De Witt, La Salle, Dimmit, Mcmullen, Atascosa, Frio, Maverick, Gonzales, Live Oak, Lavaca

East Texas combines the legacy East Texas Oilfield with the Haynesville and Bossier shale gas plays. Activity concentrates in counties along the Sabine River, driven by dry-gas drilling and LNG-linked demand.

Most active: San Augustine, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Shelby, Freestone, Nacogdoches, Leon, Anderson, Wood, Robertson, Cass

The Barnett Shale around Fort Worth is the birthplace of modern shale gas development. North Texas activity today blends Barnett infill drilling with conventional and disposal wells across the region.

Most active: Archer, Wilbarger, Baylor, Jack, Wise, Cooke, Young, Wichita, Grayson, Clay, Denton, Hardeman

The Texas Panhandle covers the legacy Panhandle gas field and Granite Wash plays along the Anadarko Basin margin, with a mix of gas, oil, and water-management drilling.

Most active: Ochiltree, Moore, Roberts, Lipscomb, Potter, Hartley, Hemphill, Sherman, Deaf Smith, Wheeler, Hutchinson, Gray