In 2025, Mewbourne Oil Company is running one of the most disciplined, data-driven private-operator drilling programs in North America. While many independents are dialing activity up and down with commodity prices, Mewbourne is executing a two-basin strategy that blends Delaware Basin manufacturing growth with Anadarko Basin cash-flow stability.
The company’s 360 wells drilled this year tell a very clear story.
1️⃣ Mewbourne 2025 Activity by Basin
Using the County field in the well data and standard basin geography, Mewbourne’s 2025 wells break out as follows:
Basin Counties Wells Drilled Delaware Basin Eddy, Lea (NM), Loving, Reeves (TX) 267 Anadarko Basin Roger Mills, Ellis, Custer, Dewey (OK) + TX Panhandle 93 Midland Basin Upton (TX) 1 Total 361*
*Minor rounding difference from the original 360-well count due to record normalization.
Nearly three-quarters of Mewbourne’s drilling is concentrated in the Delaware Basin, making it the company’s operational and financial center of gravity.
2️⃣ Why These Basins Matter to Mewbourne
Delaware Basin — Manufacturing-Scale Growth
Mewbourne’s Delaware footprint — centered on Eddy and Lea County, New Mexico, and extending into Loving and Reeves County, Texas — is where the company runs a shale manufacturing model.
This part of the Permian offers:
- Stacked pay zones (Wolfcamp A–D and Bone Spring)
- Multi-bench development from a single pad
- Long-life inventory with repeatable well designs
That allows Mewbourne to:
- Drill 6–12 wells from one pad
- Delay completions to batch fracs and optimize facilities
- Bring on entire blocks of production at once
This is why Delaware Basin wells dominate Mewbourne’s 2025 program — it is where the company compounds value, not just produces barrels.
Anadarko Basin — Cash Flow & Flexibility
In contrast, Mewbourne’s Oklahoma drilling in Roger Mills, Ellis, and Custer counties plays a different role.
Anadarko wells are:
- Shallower
- Cheaper
- Faster to drill and complete
- Faster to pay out
They provide:
- Steady cash flow
- A hedge against Permian gas takeaway, power, or frac bottlenecks
- Operational flexibility if oil prices or service costs shift
The Anadarko Basin keeps the business financially resilient while the Delaware Basin builds long-term enterprise value.
3️⃣ Drilling Providers by Basin
Mewbourne does not use the same rig strategy in both basins. The contractors tell you how each basin is being used.
Delaware Basin Drilling Providers
| Contractor | Wells Drilled | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon Drilling (Western Energy Services) | 181 | Core pad-drilling fleet |
| Helmerich & Payne | 38 | Super-Spec horizontal rigs |
| AKITA Drilling | 31 | High-performance walking rigs |
| Ensign Energy | 14 | Development & pad drilling |
| Nabors + Others | 13 | Specialty and surge capacity |
Market structure:
Mewbourne uses a small number of high-spec contractors in Delaware and keeps them busy continuously — a classic manufacturing model.
Anadarko Basin Drilling Providers
| Contractor | Wells Drilled | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Drilling | 33 | Core Oklahoma contractor |
| Latshaw Drilling | 21 | Short-cycle horizontals |
| Independence Contract Drilling | 14 | Flexible capacity |
| Nabors | 6 | Spot programs |
| Horizon + Others | 19 | Supplemental rigs |
Market structure:
Anadarko uses more contractors and shorter contracts, giving Mewbourne pricing leverage and flexibility.
4️⃣ The Rigs That Matter
These are the rigs that actually drive Mewbourne’s 2025 drilling program.
Delaware Basin — Top 5 Rigs
| Rank | Rig | Contractor | Wells Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horizon 33 | Western Energy | 63 |
| 2 | Horizon 19 | Western Energy | 41 |
| 3 | AKITA 522 | AKITA Drilling | 29 |
| 4 | H&P 330 | Helmerich & Payne | 26 |
| 5 | Ensign 776 | Ensign Energy | 14 |
These rigs are effectively Mewbourne’s shale factory floor — long-term pad rigs running continuous Delaware Basin programs.
Anadarko Basin — Top 5 Rigs
| Rank | Rig | Contractor | Wells Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unit 135 | Unit Drilling | 19 |
| 2 | Latshaw 44 | Latshaw Drilling | 17 |
| 3 | Independence 212 | Independence | 13 |
| 4 | Unit 142 | Unit Drilling | 11 |
| 5 | Nabors X21 | Nabors | 6 |
These rigs are cash-flow tools — fast, flexible, and price-sensitive.
The Big Picture
Mewbourne’s 2025 program is not about chasing short-term prices. It is about running two synchronized machines:
- Delaware Basin → Long-term shale manufacturing
- Anadarko Basin → Cash flow, speed, and optionality
This is exactly how private operators quietly build billion-dollar businesses — and why Mewbourne remains one of the most formidable private drillers in North America.
