Cana Woodford Remains Oklahoma's Most Active Drilling Play

Baker Hughes reports 22 rigs active in the Cana Woodford, leading Oklahoma drilling activity as Granite Wash ranks second.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Oklahoma's oil and gas drilling activity remained steady for another week, with the Cana Woodford continuing to lead as the state's most active drilling play. The Baker Hughes Rig Report showed 22 rigs operating in the Cana Woodford, a liquids-rich shale gas play located in the Anadarko Basin. The Granite Wash was the second most active play with 13 rigs, while the Ardmore Woodford and Arkoma Woodford saw fewer active rigs.

Why it matters

The Cana Woodford's prominence as Oklahoma's top drilling play highlights its long-standing importance to the state's upstream oil and gas sector. Its depth, stacked pay potential, and liquids-rich production profile have made it a consistent focus for operators seeking both natural gas and associated liquids production.

The details

Production in the Cana-Woodford kicked off in the 1930s from conventional vertical wells, with the industry's first horizontal well coming in 2007. In recent years, the counties that comprise the Cana fairway have been targeted for emerging oil plays, such as the SCOOP and STACK formations. The continued concentration of drilling rigs in the Cana highlights its enduring role in Oklahoma's upstream oil and gas industry.

  • The Baker Hughes Rig Report was released on Friday, March 2, 2026.

The players

Cana Woodford

A major liquids-rich shale gas play in Oklahoma's Anadarko Basin, also known as the Anadarko-Woodford. It is one of the deepest horizontal plays in the state, ranging from 8,000 to 16,000 feet in depth.

Granite Wash

An oil and gas play located in western Oklahoma, the second most active play in the state with 13 active rigs.

Baker Hughes

A leading oilfield services company that publishes a weekly rig report tracking drilling activity across major U.S. oil and gas basins.

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The takeaway

Oklahoma's Cana Woodford play remains a consistent focus for oil and gas operators, highlighting the enduring importance of this liquids-rich shale formation to the state's upstream energy industry. The play's depth, stacked pay potential, and production profile have made it a reliable source of both natural gas and associated liquids, even as newer plays like SCOOP and STACK have emerged in recent years.