Ranked by new drilling permits in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 13, 2026) — sourced from Texas RRC + New Mexico OCD filings, as of June 13, 2026.
As of June 13, 2026, ExxonMobil leads the Permian Basin with 164 new drilling permits in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 13, 2026), followed by Permian Resources (154) and EOG Resources (114). These are activity statistics, not valuations — if you receive royalty checks from one of these operators, ARB provides a free, no-obligation valuation of your specific interest.
| # | Operator | Permits (90 days) | Permian focus | Top counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ExxonMobil | 164 | Midland Basin (Midland, Martin, Upton, Glasscock counties) and Delaware Basin (Eddy County, NM) | Eddy NM, Midland TX, Upton TX |
| 2 | Permian Resources | 154 | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM; Reeves and Ward counties, TX) | Eddy NM, Lea NM, Reagan TX |
| 3 | EOG Resources | 114 | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM; Loving and Reeves counties, TX) | Lea NM, Loving TX, Eddy NM |
| 4 | Diamondback Energy | 93 | Midland Basin core (Midland, Martin, Howard, Ector, Andrews counties) | Midland TX, Martin TX, Howard TX |
| 5 | Occidental Petroleum | 80 | Delaware Basin, Midland Basin, and Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf CO2 EOR (Gaines, Yoakum counties) | Gaines TX, Loving TX, Eddy NM |
| 6 | Mewbourne Oil | 74 | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) | Eddy NM, Lea NM, Winkler TX |
| 7 | Blackbeard Operating | 53 | Central Basin Platform (Crane County, TX) | Crane TX |
| 8 | Devon Energy | 46 | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) | Eddy NM, Lea NM |
| 9 | Coterra Energy | 35 | Delaware Basin (Culberson County, TX; Lea and Eddy counties, NM) | Culberson TX, Lea NM, Eddy NM |
| 10 | Avant Operating | 32 | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM) | Lea NM, Eddy NM |
| 11 | APA (Apache) | 31 | Midland Basin (Upton and Dawson counties, TX) | Upton TX, Dawson TX |
| 12 | ConocoPhillips | 25 | Delaware Basin (Loving County, TX; Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin (Upton County, TX) | Loving TX, Upton TX, Eddy NM |
| 13 | Fasken Oil and Ranch | 25 | Central Basin Platform (Andrews County, TX) | Andrews TX |
| 14 | Continental Resources | 23 | Delaware Basin and Midland Basin (Winkler, Pecos, Glasscock, Ector counties, TX) | Winkler TX, Pecos TX, Glasscock TX |
| 15 | Spur Energy Partners | 23 | Delaware Basin / NW Shelf (Eddy County, NM) | Eddy NM |
| 16 | Civitas Resources | 18 | Midland Basin (Glasscock County, TX) and Delaware Basin (Lea County, NM) | Glasscock TX, Lea NM |
| 17 | Firebird Energy | 16 | Midland Basin (Upton and Borden counties, TX) | Upton TX, Borden TX |
| 18 | Matador Resources | 15 | Delaware Basin (Lea and Eddy counties, NM) | Lea NM, Eddy NM |
| 19 | Tap Rock Operating | 14 | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) | Eddy NM, Lea NM |
| 20 | Ovintiv | 12 | Midland Basin (Upton and Howard counties, TX) | Upton TX, Howard TX |
| 21 | Chevron | 12 | Delaware Basin (Eddy and Lea counties, NM) and Midland Basin, TX | Eddy NM, Lea NM |
| 22 | Ring Energy | 12 | Central Basin Platform / NW Shelf (Crane, Andrews, Yoakum counties, TX) | Crane TX, Andrews TX, Yoakum TX |
Source: Energy Domain DataStream (Texas Railroad Commission + New Mexico OCD filings), trailing-90-day drilling permits as of June 13, 2026. Activity statistics only — not valuations. ARB is an independent buyer, not affiliated with any operator listed. Operator data (JSON) → · Most Active Permian Counties →
New drilling permits are the earliest public signal that an operator intends to drill. The operators at the top of this list are committing the most new capital to the Permian right now — and concentrated activity by a well-capitalized operator on or near your acreage can mean new wells, new division orders, and new or larger royalty checks. Active development by a strong operator is also 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 you receive checks from one of these operators, ARB can give you a free, no-obligation read on your interest. Each operator above links to a detailed profile, including the payor names royalties may arrive under.
As of June 13, 2026, ExxonMobil leads with 164 new Permian Basin drilling permits filed in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 13, 2026), based on Texas Railroad Commission and New Mexico OCD filings.
By new drilling permits in the trailing 90 days (March 13 – June 13, 2026) (as of June 13, 2026), the most active Permian Basin operators are ExxonMobil (164); Permian Resources (154); EOG Resources (114); Diamondback Energy (93); Occidental Petroleum (80). These are the companies committing the most new capital to the basin.
Your royalty check stub, division order, or lease identifies the operator and payor. Operators often pay royalties under subsidiary or legacy names after mergers and acquisitions, so the name on your check may differ from the parent company. ARB can help identify your operator as part of a free, no-obligation valuation.
No. You can sell your mineral or royalty interest regardless of who operates the wells — the operator's consent is not required and your sale does not affect its leases or operations. ARB is a direct buyer and handles all title and transfer work at no cost to you.