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Texas activity report · September 2026

Texas Rig Count & Drilling Permits: September 2026

Original drilling permits approved by the Railroad Commission of Texas, by district and play, alongside every weekly Baker Hughes rig count since January 2024 and how it follows the oil price. Permits update each month and rigs each week, from the primary sources.

The derrick of a land drilling rig, with drill pipe racked inside it, against a blue sky in East Texas
A drilling rig at Big Thicket National Preserve, East Texas. National Park Service photo.
Drilling permits · September 2026

759 original drilling permits approved statewide

Original W-1 drilling permits the Commission approved during the month, excluding amendments. Month-over-month compares with August 2026; year-over-year compares with September 2025.

Original permits
759
+64 (+9.2%) vs prior month
+172 (+29.3%) vs Sep 25
New-drill permits
684
+90 (+15.2%) vs prior month
5,752 year to date
Horizontal wellbores
609
80% of permits approved
122 vertical
Permian districts (8, 8A, 7C)
458
+25 (+5.8%) vs prior month
+68 (+17.4%) vs year ago
Eagle Ford districts (1, 2)
147
+56 (+61.5%) vs prior month
Haynesville district (6)
47
+12 (+34.3%) vs prior month
Year to date
6,471
Full-year 2025: 7,424
Source
RRC
September 2026 summary PDF
Railroad Commission of Texas
Rig count

Texas and Permian rig count

Active rotary rigs for the week ending October 23, 2026. Source: Baker Hughes North America Rotary Rig Count, rigcount.bakerhughes.com.

AreaRigsvs 4 weeks agovs 52 weeks ago
Texas277-4 (-1.4%)+41 (+17.4%)
Permian Basin272+2 (+0.7%)+22 (+8.8%)
Eagle Ford51+1 (+2%)+8 (+18.6%)
Haynesville560 (0%)+15 (+36.6%)
United States603+4 (+0.7%)+53 (+9.6%)

Texas is the statewide count. Permian, Eagle Ford and Haynesville are Baker Hughes basin counts, and two of them cross the state line: the Permian figure includes rigs in New Mexico, and the Haynesville figure includes rigs in Louisiana.

Every week since January 5, 2024

Pick an area and a time range. Hover or tap the line, or use the arrow keys, to read any week against the same week a year earlier. A new week is added each Friday and nothing is dropped, so the history grows with the page.

Texas: 277 rigs the week of October 23, 2026, down 31 from 308 on January 5, 2024.

Active rotary rigs, weekly. Source: Baker Hughes North America Rotary Rig Count, rigcount.bakerhughes.com. Every week is in the table below.
Show all 147 weeks as a table
Weekly Baker Hughes rig counts and the WTI oil price, most recent week first
Week ofTexasPermian BasinEagle FordHaynesvilleUnited StatesWTI ($/bbl)
October 23, 20262772725156603n/a
October 16, 2026278272495660399.93
October 9, 2026281274495760396.88
October 2, 2026278270495659898.07
September 25, 2026281270505659993.57
September 18, 20262832695156595103.54
September 11, 2026284268515759199.08
September 4, 2026283268505658891.18
August 28, 2026282267505758884.62
August 21, 2026281267505758887.35
August 14, 2026277265495959384.05
August 7, 2026275263495658878.94
July 31, 2026273260495658884.51
July 24, 2026272258475658788.58
July 17, 2026274259475558880.77
July 10, 2026272256475558172.26
July 2, 2026271261445558070.48
June 26, 2026268258445557373.59
June 18, 2026261256445556381.36
June 12, 2026261256445556292.16
June 5, 2026260257445556396.87
May 29, 2026256255445556293.45
May 22, 20262552504455558105.32
May 15, 20262452464256551105.10
May 8, 20262402424358548102.28
May 1, 20262382414358547105.57
April 24, 2026234242425654495.43
April 17, 2026232242425554393.84
April 10, 20262322424356545104.54
April 2, 20262332424556548105.67
March 27, 2026231241425554394.29
March 20, 2026233243425455296.07
March 13, 2026234241435455391.85
March 6, 2026236241435355178.37
February 27, 2026230240405255065.87
February 20, 2026230239405255165.30
February 13, 2026229238405255163.93
February 6, 2026232241405055163.09
January 30, 2026226242404354662.90
January 23, 2026229244404254460.16
January 16, 2026228244404254360.12
January 9, 2026230244404154457.56
December 30, 2025231247404254657.54
December 24, 2025232247414254558.01
December 19, 2025230246394254256.30
December 12, 2025228249394554858.30
December 4, 2025226251384154959.48
November 26, 2025226251394154458.69
November 21, 2025234254414155460.27
November 14, 2025234253414154960.16
November 6, 2025234251424154860.87
October 31, 2025235251434054661.49
October 24, 2025236250434155060.20
October 17, 2025237251444154858.80
October 10, 2025238250444154762.10
October 3, 2025244251453954962.59
September 26, 2025246253453954964.83
September 19, 2025242254423954263.98
September 12, 2025244254423953963.06
September 5, 2025243254393953764.09
August 29, 2025241255393953664.52
August 22, 2025240255394053864.14
August 15, 2025242255394053964.34
August 8, 2025243256384153965.75
August 1, 2025245259394054069.58
July 25, 2025249260394154267.11
July 18, 2025253263414154468.07
July 11, 2025255265413853769.15
July 3, 2025256265413753967.43
June 27, 2025258270413654766.78
June 20, 2025258271413655474.94
June 13, 2025262273403555568.63
June 6, 2025264275403555964.06
May 30, 2025266278433356361.82
May 23, 2025266279423356663.26
May 16, 2025271282463357663.94
May 9, 2025273285463357860.39
May 2, 2025271287463358460.99
April 25, 2025274289473258763.62
April 17, 2025274289473158562.92
April 11, 2025274289473158361.24
April 4, 2025277294483059069.09
March 28, 2025280297483059269.81
March 21, 2025280300482959367.96
March 14, 2025281301482959266.95
March 7, 2025281304492959267.52
February 28, 2025282305483159369.93
February 21, 2025280304483059272.10
February 14, 2025280304483058872.17
February 7, 2025278303483058672.05
January 31, 2025277303462858273.31
January 24, 2025277298452957675.73
January 17, 2025281304442958079.28
January 10, 2025282304433158475.14
January 3, 2025285304453158973.15
December 27, 2024284304453158970.51
December 20, 2024285304463158970.39
December 13, 2024284304463158969.97
December 6, 2024286304483058968.89
November 27, 2024281303483058268.94
November 22, 2024281303483058370.11
November 15, 2024279303483258468.38
November 8, 2024281303483258571.89
November 1, 2024281303483358568.69
October 25, 2024283304493358571.59
October 18, 2024283304493358570.81
October 11, 2024285304493458675.69
October 4, 2024279304483458571.83
September 27, 2024277306483358770.22
September 20, 2024276307483358872.14
September 13, 2024274306483359068.82
September 6, 2024274306483258270.02
August 30, 2024274305483258376.36
August 23, 2024274306473358574.68
August 16, 2024273303483258679.49
August 9, 2024276304503258876.33
August 2, 2024274303503458677.11
July 26, 2024276304503558979.26
July 19, 2024276305493558682.98
July 12, 2024276305483658483.44
July 5, 2024278305493658584.61
June 28, 2024277305473658182.53
June 21, 2024282308503658882.26
June 14, 2024285309513559079.24
June 7, 2024287310513659475.53
May 31, 2024287310513660079.52
May 24, 2024287312503660079.43
May 17, 2024290312513560480.61
May 10, 2024289314523460380.26
May 3, 2024292316523460581.74
April 26, 2024297317553461384.48
April 19, 2024296318553461984.65
April 12, 2024294316553461786.50
April 5, 2024297317563462086.35
March 28, 2024290316553662182.73
March 22, 2024294315553662482.79
March 15, 2024294316554062980.43
March 8, 2024291313523862279.53
March 1, 2024299315524162979.58
February 23, 2024301314524362678.71
February 16, 2024299312524362178.17
February 9, 2024301313524262375.05
February 2, 2024303311524061975.78
January 26, 2024304310544262176.36
January 19, 2024305307554262073.36
January 12, 2024308309554361972.03
January 5, 2024308311534362172.49
Oil price and rigs

Oil prices lead the Texas rig count by about 15 weeks

The rig count is read as a response to the oil price, and a response takes time: a price move has to reach budgets, contracts and crews before it reaches the rig floor. To measure how long, we compared each 13-week change in the Texas rig count with the 13-week change in the WTI oil price, at every delay from zero to 26 weeks.

The closest match is the oil price 15 weeks earlier, about 3.5 months: a correlation of 0.57 across 134 weekly comparisons since January 2024. Compared within the same week, the correlation is −0.01: little or no relationship.

A correlation runs from −1 to 1. At 1 the two always move together; at 0, knowing one tells you nothing about the other. 0.57 is a moderate relationship: on its own, the earlier oil price accounts for about 33% of the 13-week swings in the rig count.

Same week26 weeks
Both lines indexed to 100 on January 5, 2024. Rigs: Baker Hughes North America Rotary Rig Count, rigcount.bakerhughes.com. Oil: U.S. Energy Information Administration, WTI Cushing spot price, weekly. Weekly values are in the rig count table above, and the correlation at each delay is in the table below.
Show the correlation at every delay
Correlation of 13-week changes in the Texas rig count with the WTI oil price, by delay
Oil price delayCorrelationWeekly comparisons
Same week−0.01133
1 weeks−0.01134
2 weeks0.01134
3 weeks0.05134
4 weeks0.10134
5 weeks0.16134
6 weeks0.23134
7 weeks0.30134
8 weeks0.36134
9 weeks0.41134
10 weeks0.45134
11 weeks0.49134
12 weeks0.53134
13 weeks0.55134
14 weeks0.57134
15 weeks0.57134
16 weeks0.57134
17 weeks0.55134
18 weeks0.52134
19 weeks0.47134
20 weeks0.42134
21 weeks0.37134
22 weeks0.34134
23 weeks0.30134
24 weeks0.27134
25 weeks0.23134
26 weeks0.21134

This is a pattern in the weeks on record, not a forecast. The record is short, roughly one swing of the cycle, and the best of 27 delays always looks a little better than it will hold up. Everything here is recomputed when a week is added, so the delay in the headline can move. Oil price: U.S. Energy Information Administration, WTI Cushing spot price, weekly, through the week of October 16, 2026.

By RRC district

Where the September 2026 permits were approved

The Commission reports by its twelve oil and gas districts. Districts 8 and 8A are the Permian core; 7C is its southern edge; 1 and 2 carry most Eagle Ford activity; 6 is the Texas side of the Haynesville.

DistrictAreaSep 26Aug 26Sep 25Share
08Midland (Permian core)34530629345.5%
01San Antonio (Eagle Ford west)105675513.8%
7CSan Angelo / Southern Permian6971579.1%
06East Texas / Haynesville4735366.2%
8ALubbock (Permian north)4456405.8%
02San Angelo-Victoria (Eagle Ford east)4224275.5%
03Houston / Upper Gulf Coast3142124.1%
09North Texas / Barnett2640283.4%
05East Texas (Tyler)169122.1%
7BAbilene / Central Texas162282.1%
04South Texas / Lower Gulf Coast1310111.7%
10Panhandle51380.7%
Statewide759695587100%
Trend

Monthly permits, last 14 months

Original drilling permits approved per month, Railroad Commission of Texas. Permian = RRC districts 8, 8A and 7C. Every value is in the table below.
Monthly Texas drilling permits, most recent first
MonthOriginal permitsNew drillHorizontalPermian districts
September 2026759684609458
August 2026695594495433
July 2026693612534412
June 2026750686577423
May 2026753655571488
April 2026752661564494
March 2026692624544451
February 2026579501443341
January 2026727673606524
December 2025504464404316
November 2025412369316249
October 2025756654612501
September 2025587516443390
August 2025560482414332
Method and sources

How this report is built

  • Drilling permits come from the Railroad Commission of Texas Monthly Drilling, Completion and Plugging Summaries. The figures are original W-1 permits approved during the month, grouped by purpose of filing and by district. Amended permits are excluded. The Commission posts each month's summary as it becomes available, usually early in the following month, and occasionally revises a prior month; a revised summary replaces the original here.
  • Rig counts come from the Baker Hughes North America Rotary Rig Count (rigcount.bakerhughes.com), released weekly, normally on Friday and earlier in holiday weeks. The four-week and 52-week comparisons use the release closest to those dates. Every week since January 5, 2024 is kept.
  • Oil price is the U.S. Energy Information Administration weekly WTI Cushing spot price, a public domain series. The lead comparison correlates 13-week changes, not price and rig levels: two series that both drift over a few years line up on levels whether or not one follows the other. Weeks are matched by date, within three days, because holiday weeks release early.
  • Play groupings are RRC district sums, not operator-level basin assignments: Permian = districts 8, 8A and 7C; Eagle Ford = districts 1 and 2; Haynesville = district 6. District 1 and 2 totals include non-Eagle Ford permits, so treat them as upper bounds.
  • Refresh:a script re-reads the Commission's summaries and the EIA oil price every Monday and publishes only when they change. Rig counts are added each week after Baker Hughes releases them. Data last updated: 2026-10-27.

Prospecting from this signal? The district table tells you where permits are being approved this month. Pair it with the Permian Basin operator directory and the Texas statewide directory to turn a district into a call list.

Selling into Texas operators

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