Texas Drilling Permits: Week of July 28–August 04, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

Texas Drilling Permits: Week of July 28–August 04, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

The Railroad Commission of Texas recorded 183 new drilling permits during the week of July 28–August 04, 2026, reflecting continued operator interest across the Permian Basin despite softer crude pricing. WTI crude settled at $78.05 per barrel, down $5.54 from the prior close, a pullback that operators appear to be looking past as permitting activity remained strong.

County-level data shows Lea County leading permit counts with 27 filings, followed closely by Eddy County with 25. Ector County posted 20 new permits, while Reeves County and Andrews County rounded out the top five with 12 and 9 permits, respectively. This concentration of activity underscores the Permian Basin's continued dominance in Texas drilling programs, with the basin accounting for 52 of the week's 183 total permits.

On the operator side, Kaiser-Francis Oil Co topped the list with 17 permits filed during the week, signaling an active development push. EOG Resources, Inc. and Continental Resources, Inc. each filed 13 permits, tying for second place among the week's most active operators. WPX Energy Permian, LLC secured 12 permits, and XTO Energy, Inc filed 11, rounding out a top five that reflects a mix of major independents and Permian-focused operators maintaining steady permitting cadence.

Among the week's highest-priority permits, Ovintiv USA Inc. stood out with four separate filings in Andrews County — permits #917442, #917441, #917443, and #917445 — suggesting a concentrated development effort in that area. Petrovybe Opco LLC also filed a notable permit, #917447, in Liberty County. While spud dates for these permits remain to be determined, their presence at the top of this week's priority list makes them worth tracking closely as operators finalize development schedules.

For land teams, E&P planning groups, and oilfield service providers, permit activity like this offers an early signal of where capital and crews will be deployed in the coming months. Understanding which counties and operators are ramping up filings helps service companies position equipment and personnel ahead of demand, while land professionals can use this data to anticipate leasing and acreage competition in high-permit counties like Lea, Eddy, and Ector.

Tracking permit data manually across multiple counties and operators can be time-consuming, especially during weeks with heavy filing volume. DownHole Digital monitors RRC permit activity in real time, giving oilfield professionals immediate visibility into new filings, operator trends, and basin-level shifts as they happen — rather than waiting for lagging reports.

With crude prices fluctuating and permit activity holding steady, staying current on drilling trends remains essential for anyone operating in the Texas oil patch. Learn more at downhole.digital.