Texas Drilling Permits: Week of July 13–July 20, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

Texas Drilling Permits: Week of July 13–July 20, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

The Texas Railroad Commission recorded 67 new drilling permits for the week of July 13–July 20, 2026, reflecting continued steady activity across the state's core producing regions. Operators remain focused on the Permian Basin, which accounted for 14 of the week's total permits, underscoring the basin's ongoing role as the primary driver of Texas drilling investment.

County-level data shows Ward and Eddy leading the pack with 9 permits apiece, followed by Midland and Lea with 5 each, and Atascosa rounding out the top five with 4 permits. The strong showing from Ward and Midland counties reinforces the Permian's dominant position, while Eddy and Lea counties point to spillover activity along the New Mexico side of the play. Atascosa County's permit count signals renewed interest in South Texas acreage, an area operators have watched closely as commodity prices firm up.

On the operator side, Amtex Energy, Inc. led all companies with 8 new permits, followed by Diamondback E&P LLC with 6. Trailblazer Energy Resources, LLC and Marathon Oil Permian LLC each filed 4 permits, and Surge Operating, LLC added 3 to the week's total. Trailblazer's activity was concentrated entirely in Atascosa County, with four of the week's highest-priority permits — #917174, #917175, #917176, and #917177 — all tied to that operator and county. Rockcliff Energy Operating III also landed on the priority list with permit #917178 in San Augustine County, signaling continued operator interest in East Texas acreage outside the traditional Permian footprint.

While estimated spud dates for these top-priority permits remain TBD, the concentration of Trailblazer filings in a single county suggests a coordinated development program worth watching in the coming weeks. For land teams, midstream planners, and oilfield service providers, tracking these early-stage filings is critical for anticipating where rig activity, water sourcing, and takeaway capacity needs will materialize next.

Market conditions remain supportive for continued permitting activity. WTI crude settled at $80.31 per barrel, up $0.71 from the prior close, giving operators added confidence to advance drilling programs into the back half of 2026.

Staying ahead of permit activity is increasingly a competitive advantage rather than a nice-to-have. DownHole Digital monitors Texas RRC filings in real time, giving E&P, land, and oilfield service teams early visibility into where operators like Amtex Energy, Diamondback E&P, and Trailblazer Energy Resources are staking new locations — often before rigs move in.

To get weekly permit intelligence and operator-level activity tracking delivered straight to your team, learn more at downhole.digital.