Chevron entered 2025 with a clear mandate: scale development efficiently, compress cycle times, and unlock more value from every acre across its U.S. portfolio. The company’s competitive advantage increasingly comes from the convergence of advanced AI, next-generation completions, and a highly optimized rig fleet tailored to each basin.
Two technologies sit at the center of Chevron’s modern development model:
APOLO – The AI system reshaping subsurface decision-making
APOLO (Automated Production Outlook and Location Optimization) is Chevron’s proprietary AI engine built to decode shale complexity at massive scale. By ingesting millions of datapoints from shale reservoirs—geology, depletion patterns, spacing, proppant loading, fluid design, and thousands of historical wells—APOLO generates standardized, highly accurate, and explainable production forecasts.
Engineers use APOLO to:
- Predict well performance with higher confidence
- Pinpoint optimal drilling locations
- Simulate spacing and completion scenarios before committing capital
- Standardize development planning across the Permian and DJ basins
In short: APOLO gives Chevron a clearer picture of what drives performance, enabling faster, smarter development.
Triple-Frac – Acceleration at the pad level
On the completions side, Chevron’s shift toward triple-frac—fracturing three wells simultaneously—has delivered step-change efficiency in the Permian. Compared with simulfrac, triple-frac cuts cycle times by 25% and reduces completion costs by 12%, making each pad more capital-efficient.
Together, APOLO + triple-frac represent the blueprint of Chevron’s next decade: AI-optimized decisions, high-density pad development, and accelerated time-to-barrel.
Chevron’s 2025 Drilling Activity: A Baseline for Scale
Chevron drilled 419 wells across its U.S. onshore and offshore portfolio in 2025. Activity was concentrated in the Permian, Bakken, and DJ Basin—supported by a rig fleet dominated by Patterson-UTI, Nabors, and Helmerich & Payne.
Wells Drilled by Play (2025)
| Play | Wells Drilled |
|---|---|
| Permian – Delaware | 136 |
| Williston Basin (Bakken) | 104 |
| DJ Basin | 83 |
| Permian – Midland | 77 |
| Gulf of Mexico Offshore | 16 |
| Haynesville | 3 |
The Permian (Delaware + Midland) accounted for 213 wells, reinforcing its status as Chevron’s highest-priority growth engine.
Rig Strategy: Which Contractors Powered Chevron’s 2025 Development?
Chevron’s rig fleet in 2025 was highly basin-specific, with clear contractor concentration patterns in each region.
Permian – Delaware Basin
The Delaware Basin remains one of Chevron’s highest-ROI assets, and drilling here is driven almost exclusively by Patterson-UTI rigs—five of which ranked among the most active.
Top Rigs – Delaware Basin (Wells Drilled):
- Patterson 289 — 26 wells
- Patterson 815 — 24 wells
- Patterson 284 — 23 wells
- Patterson 817 — 18 wells
- Patterson 803 — 13 wells
Chevron’s reliance on high-performance pad-walking rigs reflects its strategy of maximizing multi-well pad development while feeding triple-frac crews.
Permian – Midland Basin
The Midland dataset shows a similar pattern—highly standardized rig operations led by Patterson.
Top Rigs – Midland Basin:
- Patterson 814 — 28 wells
- Patterson 812 — 22 wells
- Patterson 258 — 14 wells
- Patterson 278 — 11 wells
Chevron’s twin-Permian strategy is clear: use a consistent fleet of high-spec rigs to drive uniform performance across vast acreage positions.
Williston Basin (Bakken)
Chevron’s Bakken drilling program was powered entirely by Nabors, with an evenly loaded multi-rig fleet.
Top Rigs – Bakken:
- Nabors X28 — 29 wells
- Nabors X10 — 26 wells
- Nabors X27 — 25 wells
- Nabors X24 — 24 wells
This consistency shows a “factory drilling” mindset in the Williston—high cadence, predictable performance, and standardized workflows.
DJ Basin
With only two rigs operating, the DJ Basin is the most concentrated fleet in Chevron’s 2025 portfolio.
Top Rigs – DJ Basin:
- H&P 517 — 44 wells
- True Drilling 41 — 39 wells
The H&P 517 rig alone drilled more wells than any Chevron rig nationwide in 2025.
Gulf of Mexico – Offshore
Offshore development remained selective but strategically important.
Top Rigs – Gulf of Mexico:
- TO Deepwater Asgard — 5 wells
- Valaris DS-18 — 4 wells
- Enterprise 351 — 2 wells
- Nabors MODS 400 — 2 wells
What This Means for Chevron’s Future Development
Chevron’s 2025 drilling footprint shows a company scaling efficiently through:
- AI-backed location selection (APOLO)
- Accelerated pad completions (triple-frac)
- Standardized rig fleets by basin
- High-density development across core acreage
This combination strengthens cycle economics, improves well performance predictability, and positions Chevron to grow production with fewer rigs and fewer days per well.
Chevron’s technology-first approach—supported by one of the most disciplined rig strategies in the industry—continues to set a performance benchmark across North America’s shale landscape.
