Ranked by new drilling permits in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 11, 2026) — sourced from Texas RRC + New Mexico OCD filings, as of June 11, 2026.
As of June 11, 2026, Eddy County, NM leads the Permian Basin with 333 new drilling permits in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 11, 2026), followed by Lea (244) and Midland (113). These are activity statistics, not valuations — if you own minerals in an active county, ARB provides a free, no-obligation valuation of your specific interest.
| # | County | State | Permits (90 days) | Active rigs | Most active operators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddy County | NM | 333 | 56 | Permian Resources, ExxonMobil, Mewbourne Oil |
| 2 | Lea County | NM | 244 | 35 | EOG Resources, Permian Resources, Avant Operating |
| 3 | Midland County | TX | 113 | 25 | ExxonMobil, Diamondback Energy |
| 4 | Loving County | TX | 76 | 21 | Occidental Petroleum, EOG Resources, ConocoPhillips |
| 5 | Upton County | TX | 66 | 27 | APA (Apache), ExxonMobil, Firebird Energy |
| 6 | Martin County | TX | 60 | 11 | Diamondback Energy, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum |
| 7 | Crane County | TX | 60 | — | Blackbeard Operating, Ring Energy |
| 8 | Glasscock County | TX | 55 | — | ExxonMobil, Civitas Resources, Occidental Petroleum |
| 9 | Reagan County | TX | 43 | 10 | Permian Resources |
| 10 | Andrews County | TX | 43 | — | Fasken Oil and Ranch, Ring Energy |
Source: Energy Domain DataStream (Texas Railroad Commission + New Mexico OCD filings), trailing-90-day drilling permits as of June 11, 2026; active-rig counts as of the same date. Activity statistics only — not valuations. Permit data (JSON) → · Most Active Permian Operators → · Permian Basin by the Numbers →
A new drilling permit is the earliest public signal that an operator intends to drill. Counties at the top of this list are where the Permian's most active operators are committing capital right now — and concentrated permitting can mean new wells, new division orders, and new or larger royalty checks for the mineral owners beneath that acreage. It also signals strong buyer demand: active development by well-capitalized operators is one of the most important factors buyers weigh when pricing mineral and royalty interests.
Permit counts are activity indicators, not a measure of what any specific interest is worth — that depends on your net mineral acres, the formations and wells under your tract, your decimal, and current prices. If your minerals sit in one of these counties, ARB can give you a free, no-obligation read on your interest.
You're welcome to cite this page. Suggested format: "Most Active Permian Basin Counties, American Royalty Buyers, data as of June 11, 2026 (americanroyaltybuyers.com/most-active-permian-counties)." Underlying data: Texas Railroad Commission and New Mexico OCD filings via Energy Domain. Updated quarterly.
As of June 11, 2026, Eddy County, NM leads the Permian Basin with 333 new drilling permits filed in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 11, 2026), based on Texas Railroad Commission and New Mexico OCD filings.
By new drilling permits in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 11, 2026) (as of June 11, 2026), the most active Permian Basin counties are Eddy County, NM (333); Lea County, NM (244); Midland County, TX (113); Loving County, TX (76); Upton County, TX (66). These are the counties where the basin's most active operators are committing capital and where new royalty income is most likely to follow.
Midland County leads Texas Permian counties with 113 new drilling permits in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 11, 2026) (as of June 11, 2026). Only New Mexico's Delaware Basin counties — Eddy and Lea — file more.
Operators filed 1,381 new drilling permits across 26 core Permian counties in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 11, 2026), as of June 11, 2026 (Texas RRC + New Mexico OCD filings). These are activity counts, not valuations.