Texas Drilling Permits: Week of September 30–October 07, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

Texas Drilling Permits: Week of September 30–October 07, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

Operators filed 82 new drilling permits with the Texas Railroad Commission during the week of September 30–October 07, 2026, reflecting steady activity across core Permian Basin acreage despite a slight pullback in crude prices. WTI settled at $90.22 per barrel, down $0.89 from the prior close, but the dip did little to slow permitting momentum heading into the fourth quarter.

Eddy County led all counties with 30 new permits, followed by Martin County with 13, Lea County with 10, Upton County with 6, and Live Oak County with 3. The concentration of activity in Eddy, Lea, and Martin counties underscores continued operator focus on the western Permian Basin, which accounted for 40 of the week's 82 total permits — nearly half of all statewide filings.

Mewbourne Oil Co. topped the operator list with 26 permits, the most of any company this week and a strong signal of continued development drilling in its core acreage. Diamondback E&P LLC followed with 13 permits, most of them concentrated in Martin County, reinforcing the company's ongoing Midland Basin program. Spur Energy Partners LLC filed 6 permits, Texas Standard Operating NM LLC filed 5, and Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc. rounded out the top five with 4 permits.

Among the week's highest-priority filings, Diamondback E&P LLC accounted for several Martin County permits, including #919038, #919032, #919036, and #919035, all currently showing an estimated spud date of TBD. RHB Exploration & Production, LLC also filed a notable permit, #893585, in Mitchell County. While these permits carry a current priority score of 0, early identification of operator activity in these areas gives land teams, service companies, and midstream planners a head start on anticipating development patterns before spud dates are confirmed.

For E&P teams, land professionals, and oilfield service providers, permit data like this offers an early read on where capital is flowing and which operators are ramping activity. Tracking weekly filings by county and operator helps teams position crews, negotiate acreage, and forecast service demand ahead of the broader market. DownHole Digital monitors Texas RRC permit filings in real time, giving industry professionals timely visibility into new drilling activity as it's filed — well before rigs move in.

With Eddy, Martin, and Lea counties continuing to draw the bulk of new permits, and Mewbourne Oil Co. and Diamondback E&P LLC leading operator activity, the coming weeks should offer more clarity on how quickly these filings convert to spuds. Monitoring these trends closely will remain essential for anyone operating in or around the Permian Basin.

To stay ahead of permit activity and track operators in real time, learn more at downhole.digital.