Continental Resources Tops Enverus List of Largest US Private Oil and Gas Producers

Continental Resources led Enverus' annual ranking of the top 100 private exploration and production operators in the United States. Its 5,274 wells and 14 active rigs delivered 706,974 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025, the most of any private producer on the list.

The company also came out ahead on liquids, pumping roughly 354,000 bpd. On the gas side, Aethon Energy took the top spot with output above 2.65 Bcfd. Aethon's overall production reached 442,744 barrels of oil equivalent per day, drawn from 1,834 wells and six active rigs.

Hilcorp ran the leanest fleet near the top, holding output at 311,871 barrels of oil equivalent per day with only two active rigs. That figure came from 25,804 wells, the widest well base among the producers detailed.

Flywheel Energy posted the biggest year-over-year jump, moving up to No. 6 from No. 21.

Drew Depoe, senior analyst at Enverus Intelligence Research, tied the shifting field to a fresh round of private money entering the sector. "We are in the opening innings of another cycle of private capital deployment," he said, with funded teams building new positions and carving assets out of public operators after the consolidation wave of recent years.