Texas Drilling Permits: Week of August 14–August 21, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

Texas Drilling Permits: Week of August 14–August 21, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

The Railroad Commission of Texas recorded 1,546 new drilling permits for the week of August 14–August 21, 2026, reflecting continued strong activity across the Permian Basin, which accounted for 1,422 of the total permits filed. This level of activity signals sustained operator confidence heading into the fall drilling season, supported by WTI crude trading at $86.64 per barrel, up $2.14 from the prior close.

County-level data shows Eddy County leading all areas with 825 permits, followed closely by Lea County with 597 permits. These two counties alone represent the overwhelming majority of this week's filings, underscoring the intensity of development in the core Permian corridor along the Texas-New Mexico state line. Culberson County posted 22 permits, Reeves County followed with 13, and Martin County rounded out the top five with 8 permits filed.

On the operator side, EOG Resources Inc. dominated the week with 563 permits, more than triple the count of any other company. Oxy USA Inc. filed 147 permits, while XTO Permian Operating LLC. secured 132. XTO Energy, Inc added another 93 permits, and Cimarex Energy Co. of Colorado rounded out the top five operators with 75 permits. Together, these five companies accounted for a significant share of total permit volume, reinforcing the concentration of drilling activity among a handful of major E&P players in the basin.

Several high-priority permits are worth watching in the weeks ahead. Overflow Energy Permian, LLC filed permit #917890 in Midland County, while Hibernia Resources IV, LLC secured permit #917884 in Dawson County. MBX Operating LLC filed permit #917880 in Pecos County. Comstock Oil & Gas, LLC was active in Harrison County with two permits, #917867 and #917870, signaling continued interest outside the core Permian footprint and into East Texas acreage.

For land teams, service companies, and E&P operators tracking rig activity and permit trends, this week's data illustrates where capital is flowing and which operators are ramping activity ahead of Q4. Eddy and Lea counties remain the epicenter of Permian permitting, while smaller counts in Culberson, Reeves, and Martin counties point to selective step-out drilling. Monitoring these shifts in real time is critical for anyone making decisions around water sourcing, sand logistics, workforce deployment, or leasing strategy.

DownHole Digital tracks Texas RRC drilling permits in real time, giving oilfield service companies, land professionals, and E&P teams an up-to-date view of where operators are staking new wells across the Permian and beyond. Instead of waiting on delayed reports, teams can use permit-level data to anticipate activity before rigs mobilize.

Learn more at downhole.digital.