2.3M+ Historical Well-Permit Records from 27 Configured State Sources
Returned permit dates span 1864 through August 17, 2026. 14 states currently eligible for activity reporting have records dated within the last 30 days. That activity flag is not a completeness or alert-readiness claim.
Dataset frontier: latest returned permit record August 17, 2026
2,292,707
permits
1,339
recent permits
27
configured state sources
162+
years (1864-2026)
Free location lookup
Find oil and gas wells near a ZIP code
Search nearby public permit records by ZIP code, city, address, or your current location. No signup is required for the bounded preview.
All 27 Configured State Sources
Sorted by total permits| # | State | Total Permits | Last 30 Days | Date Range | Configured Checks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas(TX) | 419,536 | +895 | 1966 — 2026 | Daily schedule |
| 2 | California(CA) | Historical archive | Current activity not supported | 1867 — 2026 | Daily schedule |
| 3 | Ohio(OH) | 238,627 | +18 | 1947 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 4 | Wyoming(WY) | Historical archive | Current activity not supported | 1900 — 2025 | Weekly schedule |
| 5 | Louisiana(LA) | 190,562 | +27 | 1902 — 2026 | Daily schedule |
| 6 | New Mexico(NM) | 141,611 | — | 1973 — 2026 | Daily schedule |
| 7 | Colorado(CO) | 124,352 | +80 | 1898 — 2026 | Daily schedule |
| 8 | Oklahoma(OK) | 118,423 | +54 | 1901 — 2026 | Daily schedule |
| 9 | Kentucky(KY) | Historical archive | Current activity not supported | 1900 — 2025 | Weekly schedule |
| 10 | Illinois(IL) | 97,879 | — | 1900 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 11 | Michigan(MI) | 92,623 | +3 | 2001 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 12 | New York(NY) | 46,190 | — | 1864 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 13 | Montana(MT) | Historical archive | Current activity not supported | 1890 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 14 | North Dakota(ND) | 41,889 | +58 | 1904 — 2026 | Daily schedule |
| 15 | Utah(UT) | 40,250 | +81 | 1891 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 16 | Kansas(KS) | 35,509 | +56 | 2025 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 17 | Arkansas(AR) | 19,570 | +3 | 1905 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 18 | Tennessee(TN) | Historical archive | Current activity not supported | 1968 — 2023 | Weekly schedule |
| 19 | Nebraska(NE) | Historical archive | Current activity not supported | 1930 — 2025 | Weekly schedule |
| 20 | Alaska(AK) | 12,027 | — | 1901 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 21 | Virginia(VA) | 11,378 | — | 1929 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 22 | Indiana(IN) | Historical archive | Current activity not supported | — | Weekly schedule |
| 23 | West Virginia(WV) | 8,097 | +23 | 1984 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 24 | Mississippi(MS) | 3,327 | +5 | 1911 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 25 | Alabama(AL) | 2,886 | +2 | 1904 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
| 26 | Florida(FL) | 1,366 | — | 1944 — 2020 | Weekly schedule |
| 27 | Pennsylvania(PA) | 1,053 | +34 | 1927 — 2026 | Weekly schedule |
Explore by State
Configured Daily Source Checks (7 states)
Texas
419,536
total historical records
+895 last 30d
California
Historical only
current activity not supported
Louisiana
190,562
total historical records
+27 last 30d
New Mexico
141,611
total historical records
Colorado
124,352
total historical records
+80 last 30d
Oklahoma
118,423
total historical records
+54 last 30d
North Dakota
41,889
total historical records
+58 last 30d
Configured Weekly Source Checks (20 states)
Ohio
238,627
total historical records
+18 last 30d
Wyoming
Historical only
current activity not supported
Kentucky
Historical only
current activity not supported
Illinois
97,879
total historical records
Michigan
92,623
total historical records
+3 last 30d
New York
46,190
total historical records
Montana
Historical only
current activity not supported
Utah
40,250
total historical records
+81 last 30d
Kansas
35,509
total historical records
+56 last 30d
Arkansas
19,570
total historical records
+3 last 30d
Tennessee
Historical only
current activity not supported
Nebraska
Historical only
current activity not supported
Alaska
12,027
total historical records
Virginia
11,378
total historical records
Indiana
Historical only
current activity not supported
West Virginia
8,097
total historical records
+23 last 30d
Mississippi
3,327
total historical records
+5 last 30d
Alabama
2,886
total historical records
+2 last 30d
Florida
1,366
total historical records
Pennsylvania
1,053
total historical records
+34 last 30d
Monitor Texas Permit Activity
Texas Watch is $99/month for county/operator watches and concierge email delivery. Territory Pro is $299/month for multiple Texas watches, onboarding, and daily concierge delivery. Both include a 14-day trial and remain separate from commodity/API plan entitlements.
View Texas Permit DataSMS, webhook, and export are preference previews during the beta; they are not presented as fully automated delivery.
Access This Data via API
Access historical permit totals, recent-record activity, and per-state returned date ranges for configured state sources. State freshness and completeness vary.
/v1/pseo/drilling-intelligence/statescurl -X GET "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/pseo/drilling-intelligence/states"
Sample Response
{
"data": {
"state": "Texas",
"state_code": "TX",
"total_permits": 419536,
"recent_permits": 895,
"earliest_record_date": "1966-07-28",
"latest_record_date": "2026-08-14"
},
"meta": {
"configured_check_cadence": "daily",
"activity_window_days": 30,
"has_records_in_activity_window": true
}
}Frequently Asked Questions About Well Permits
A drilling permit is a legal authorization from a state regulatory agency allowing an operator to drill an oil or gas well at a specific location. Permits must be obtained before any drilling can begin and include details about well depth, casing program, and operator information.
Well permits are a leading indicator of future drilling activity. A surge in permit applications signals operator confidence and upcoming rig activity, while declining permits suggest a slowdown. Permit data typically leads actual drilling by 30-90 days.
Texas consistently leads the nation in drilling permits due to its size and prolific basins (Permian, Eagle Ford). California, Ohio, Wyoming, and Louisiana follow with extensive historical records going back over a century.
Configured source-check schedules vary by state, but a daily or weekly schedule is not a freshness guarantee. Use each state's latest permit-record date as the data frontier. Recent activity does not by itself establish completeness or alert readiness.
Drilling permits typically include: operator name, well name and number, surface and bottom hole location (GPS/survey), proposed depth, formation target, lease information, and anticipated spud date.
The earliest returned records date to 1864. Historical depth and field completeness vary materially by regulator, so each state page reports its own returned date range.
Weekly Drilling Report
See state-by-state permit trends, top operators, and interactive drilling maps in our weekly analysis.
This Week in Well Permits →