Oil and gas operators continue to push drilling performance to new levels in 2026. Recent earnings calls highlighted record-breaking drilling speeds, shorter cycle times, longer laterals, and increased use of technologies such as simul-frac, automation, AI, and real-time drilling optimization. From the Permian Basin to the Utica and Haynesville, operators are finding new ways to drill faster while lowering costs and improving well economics.
Drilling Performance Examples
| Operator | Faster Drilling Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Riley Exploration Permian | 4.28 days spud-to-TD | Record 1.5-mile San Andres well drilled in Yoakum County. |
| Riley Exploration Permian | 5.79 days spud-to-rig-release | Record drilling performance. |
| Riley Exploration Permian | 1,456 lateral ft/day | Fastest drilled wells in company history. |
| Expand Energy | Fastest Utica well ever drilled | Company highlighted record drilling performance in Southwest Appalachia. |
| Matador Resources | 13% faster cycle times YoY | Improved drilling/completion execution and operational efficiency. |
| Matador Resources | 3-mile lateral drilled in under 16 days | 40% improvement versus 2025 performance. |
| Permian Resources | 2,500+ ft/day | Fastest well in company history. |
| SM Energy | Longest and fastest Wolfcamp D wells in company history | Combined with longer laterals and improved completion efficiency. |
| ConocoPhillips | 15% improvement in drilling & completion efficiency | Driven by longer laterals and operational improvements. |
| EOG Resources | 22% increase in drilled feet/day (Utica) | Significant drilling efficiency gains across multiple basins. |
Here are the strongest direct quotes related to faster drilling, drilling efficiency, cycle-time reduction, and drilling performance from the PDF.
Riley Exploration Permian
“Lateral drilling performance continued its multiyear upward trajectory.”
“We drilled a record spud to TD well for a 1.5-mile Yoakum County San Andres well in Champions at 4.28 days.”
“We also successfully executed drilling and completing 2 more 2-mile laterals.”
“Consistent use of multi-well pads and zipper fracs materially reduced downtime and per well cost.”
Expand Energy
“We’ve drilled the fastest well ever within our Utica program in Southwest Appalachia.”
“An area of focus right now is for us perfecting how we drill our 3-mile laterals in the Haynesville.”
“We see room for continuing operational improvements across the portfolio.”
Ovintiv
“We’re delivering faster cycle times, extending the lateral length on wells that were otherwise constrained by lease lines, savings on completions through the use of simul-frac and cheaper domestic sand.”
“We are already achieving our cost target of $1 million in per well savings.”
“The result has been greater than 10% improvement in our Permian oil productivity per foot since 2023.”
Crescent Energy
“We continue to increase our use of Simulfrac completions across our development, which is reducing costs and accelerating volumes.”
“We’ve accelerated cycle times and are currently 100 producing days ahead on our 2026 development plan.”
“Implementing Simulfrac, increasing efficiency and extending laterals are just a few of the tools we’ve brought to the basin to optimize the capital program and increase well returns.”
Matador Resources
“Year-over-year, we’re about 13% faster just on average from cycle times.”
“Our best 3-mile well we’ve drilled this year in under 16 days, which was a 40% improvement versus 2025.”
“It’s multi-well completions, utilization of simul- and trimul-frac.”
Permian Resources
“We delivered the fastest well in company history, averaging over 2,500 feet per day.”
“We reduced D&C cost to approximately $685 per lateral foot with both drilling cost per foot and completion cost per foot setting new company records.”
“We’re tinkering with BHAs in different areas to try to speed up kind of ROP in the lateral. We’re trying to reduce bit trips.”
SM Energy
“Our teams drilled the longest and fastest Wolfcamp D wells in SM’s history.”
“Completion efficiency improved 4% compared to 2025.”
“We implemented simul-frac in our Watkins area, which drove a 25% improvement in completion efficiency compared to zipper operations.”
“We’re encouraged by our move to longer, 4-mile developments, which are delivering meaningful savings in drilling cost per foot.”
EOG Resources
“We continue to improve our peer-leading capital efficiency, meaningfully increasing the number of 3-mile plus laterals in our program.”
“We continue to drive significant efficiencies, both on the drilling and the completion operations.”
“Our teams are applying real-time geology, drilling and completions data to improve well performance across the portfolio through innovative completions and targeting strategies.”
Comstock Resources
“On average, we realize 35% savings in our drilling cost when we drill a 10k horseshoe well compared to 2 5,000 foot sectional lateral wells.”
“We do expect this rotary steerable technology is going to play a larger role in our future drilling program to help drive more cost reductions.”
“We are very encouraged that we are cracking the code on the best way to drill the wells and complete the wells.”
Diamondback Energy
“The team is executing flawlessly. I mean we set records on the drilling side on 2-, 3-, 4-mile laterals.”
“There’s just kind of a lot of good things happening in the field in terms of less downtime, more automation, call it AI, call it lot of automation impacting that side of the business.”
“We’re starting to see that pay dividends and really layering on that machine learning as we continue to look at our data streams and processes.”
These are the strongest verbatim statements in the report specifically tied to faster drilling, reduced cycle times, drilling records, longer laterals, drilling efficiency, and technologies enabling faster well delivery.
The trend is clear: faster drilling is becoming a major competitive advantage. Operators that successfully combine technology, data analytics, optimized completions, and operational discipline are reducing well costs, accelerating production, and improving capital efficiency. As these innovations continue to scale, drilling performance records are likely to keep falling across North America’s most active basins.
Author: phinds