#United States #Austin #Enverus #Helmerich & Payne #Exxon

Enverus Unveils Top U.S. Drillers of 2026

Enverus, a premier energy data analytics platform, has published its current rankings of the most prominent land drilling contractors and customers in the United States. This report is critical as it highlights key players in the industry based on the latest drilling activity data available.

The rankings utilize data from the first quarter of 2026 to analyze multiple metrics, including total drilled measured depth, well counts, average drilling rates, and rig counts. It is important to note that oil and gas activity data may lag behind actual field operations and subsequent public reports, making these rankings a snapshot that can evolve as more information becomes available.

Leading Land Drilling Contractors

In the latest rankings, Helmerich & Payne, Inc. emerges as the top U.S. land drilling contractor, achieving a remarkable total drilled measured depth of 15.85 million feet across 776 wells. Following them is Patterson-UTI Drilling Company, which ranks second with 9.51 million feet drilled across 442 wells. Nabors Industries, Ltd. takes third place, reporting 6.55 million feet, while Ensign Energy Services, Inc. holds the fourth position with 4.21 million feet drilled.

Top Drilling Customers

Among drilling customers, Exxon leads the rankings with a total drilled footage of 5.44 million feet from 229 wells. Notably, EOG Resources has increased its ranking, rising two spots to become the second-largest drilling customer with 3.39 million feet drilled. Devon Energy, Occidental Petroleum, and ConocoPhillips complete the top five, with reported footage of 3.30 million feet, 3.28 million feet, and 2.60 million feet, respectively.

A Comprehensive Perspective

While total drilled footage plays a significant role in assessing market activity, the rankings from Enverus provide a more nuanced perspective by considering factors like drilling pace, well design, and rig deployment. For instance, the contractor that drilled the most footage was not necessarily the fastest among the top competitors. This variability underscores the importance of multiple operating metrics for a comprehensive understanding of drilling operations.

Lucas Gjovig, CEO of GO Wireline, a customer of Enverus, emphasizes the importance of technology and data in strategic decision-making. He acknowledges the variability in the quality of available information in the market, which drives their reliance on Enverus to deliver critical insights, particularly in evaluating and investing in basins.

Mark Chapman, a principal analyst at Enverus Intelligence Research, notes that the rankings serve as a practical benchmark for assessing leading contractors and operators across various dimensions of performance, execution, and well design. While drilled footage is crucial, the broader dataset helps put the numbers into context, facilitating better comparisons across different players in the industry.

Key Insights

• - Helmerich & Payne leads U.S. land drilling contractors with 15.85 million feet drilled across 776 wells.
• - Exxon tops the list of U.S. land drilling customers with 5.44 million feet drilled from 229 wells.
• - EOG Resources shows significant upward mobility within the ranking, moving up two slots to second.
• - These rankings assess various factors including drilled footage, counts of wells, drilling rates, measured depths, lateral lengths, and rig counts.
• - For the week ending July 31, 2026, the average active rig count in the U.S. was 637.6, marking a 13% increase year-over-year.

Full Rankings

The complete list of rankings and further details on the drilling metrics can be accessed through Enverus FOUNDATIONS® and Enverus Activity Analytics. The broader Oilfield Pulse report also incorporates insights from Enverus Rig Analytics for thorough analysis of rig utilization and market trends.

About Enverus

Enverus stands as a trusted partner for the energy sector, offering invaluable decision intelligence and operational efficiencies. The firm leverages petabytes of unique data, deep industry knowledge, and innovative AI technologies to support customers in making informed investments, optimizing operations, and accelerating growth, even amid the complexities of today's energy landscape. To learn more about their offerings, visit www.enverus.com.