Texas Drilling Permits: Week of October 15–October 22, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

Texas Drilling Permits: Week of October 15–October 22, 2026 — RRC Activity Report

The Texas Railroad Commission recorded 281 new drilling permits for the week of October 15–October 22, 2026, reflecting continued operator activity across the Permian Basin despite a pullback in crude prices. WTI crude settled at $99.53 per barrel, down $4.13 from the prior close, a move that oilfield professionals will want to watch heading into November as operators weigh capital budgets against commodity swings.

Midland County led all counties with 44 new permits, followed by Martin County with 25. Reeves and Culberson counties each posted 18 permits, while Loving County rounded out the top five with 17. These five counties alone accounted for well over 40% of total statewide permitting activity, underscoring the Permian Basin's continued dominance in Texas drilling. RRC data for the week attributed 14 permits directly to Permian Basin designations, with additional activity spread across adjacent West Texas counties.

On the operator side, Diamondback E&P LLC topped the list with 30 permits, maintaining its position as one of the most active drillers in the region. Chevron U.S.A. Inc. filed 20 permits, followed by Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc. with 15. Permian Resources Operating, LLC secured 13 permits, and WPX Energy Permian, LLC rounded out the top five with 12. These five operators combined for 90 permits, roughly a third of the week's total statewide filings, highlighting the concentration of drilling activity among a handful of large-scale Permian producers.

Among the highest-priority permits filed this week, Apache Corporation filed three separate permits in Reeves County (#919342, #919343, #919344), signaling a cluster of planned development in that area. BPX Operating Company filed a notable permit in La Salle County (#919331), extending activity beyond the core Permian counties. Canan Mowrey Operating, LLC also filed a permit in Dickens County (#919396), pointing to continued interest in less-concentrated acreage outside the Permian core. Spud dates for these permits remain TBD, a reminder that permit filings represent forward-looking activity rather than immediate drilling starts.

For land teams, service companies, and E&P professionals tracking where capital is flowing, permit-level data offers an early signal well ahead of rig counts or completion reports. DownHole Digital monitors RRC permit filings in real time, giving operators, landmen, and oilfield service providers a faster read on county-level and operator-level activity across Texas as it happens, rather than waiting on monthly aggregated reports.

With WTI pulling back this week, it will be worth watching whether permitting pace in Midland, Martin, Reeves, Culberson, and Loving counties holds steady or softens heading into November. Learn more about real-time Texas drilling permit tracking at downhole.digital.