Basin Detail
The Anadarko Basin is one of the deepest and most prolific sedimentary basins in the United States, stretching across western and central Oklahoma into the Texas panhandle and southwest Kansas. The basin has produced oil and gas since the early 1900s and remains one of the most active drilling regions in the country. The SCOOP (South Central Oklahoma Oil Province) and STACK (Sooner Trend Anadarko Canadian Kingfisher) are the two premier horizontal plays within the Anadarko Basin, targeting the Woodford Shale, Meramec, and other formations. Together, they represent Oklahoma's highest-value mineral acreage. We actively buy mineral rights, royalty interests, NPRI, and ORRI across the SCOOP, STACK, and the broader Anadarko Basin.
Approximate location of the Anadarko Basin (SCOOP / STACK) shown in tan
Basin-level activity chart not yet available for the Anadarko Basin (SCOOP / STACK). For current activity, see our rig count dashboard and the state production pages linked above.
The SCOOP primarily targets the Woodford Shale at depths of 9,000 to 14,000 feet, along with the Springer and Sycamore formations. The play covers Grady, Stephens, Garvin, and Carter counties in south-central Oklahoma. The STACK sits to the north and targets the Meramec (a mixed carbonate-shale interval) and the Osage and Woodford formations at depths of 6,000 to 12,000 feet across Kingfisher, Canadian, Blaine, and Dewey counties. The STACK's defining characteristic is its stacked-pay geology — multiple productive formations sitting on top of each other that can be developed from the same surface location. This multi-bench potential is a key driver of mineral values in the play.
Devon Energy is the largest STACK operator, with headquarters in Oklahoma City and a massive acreage position across Kingfisher and Canadian counties. Continental Resources is the dominant SCOOP operator. Marathon Oil, Ovintiv (formerly Encana), Gulfport Energy, and Citizen Energy are also significant players across both plays.
Anadarko Basin mineral values in the SCOOP and STACK are driven by the number of productive zones (stacked-pay potential) and the activity level of the operator. STACK acreage with Meramec, Osage, and Woodford potential commands the highest valuations because each additional productive formation represents additional drilling locations and future income. SCOOP acreage with strong Woodford production is also valuable. Location within or outside the core development area, operator identity, and current lease terms all significantly affect valuations.
Additional counties we cover within the Anadarko Basin (SCOOP / STACK), sorted by recent oil and gas activity:
The SCOOP is in south-central Oklahoma (Grady, Stephens, Garvin, Carter counties) and primarily targets the Woodford Shale. The STACK is in west-central Oklahoma (Kingfisher, Canadian, Blaine, Dewey counties) and targets the Meramec, Osage, and Woodford formations. While both are in the Anadarko Basin, they target different formations at different depths, and the operator mix differs. The STACK is known for its stacked-pay potential with three or more productive zones.
Oklahoma is a forced pooling state, which means the OCC can pool unleased mineral interests into a drilling unit. Forced pooling is common in the SCOOP and STACK. If you own unleased minerals, you may receive a pooling order from the OCC. Understanding your options under a pooling order — participate, accept the offered terms, or sell — is important. We are happy to discuss these options with you.
The STACK has three primary productive formations: the Meramec (a mixed carbonate-shale interval that is the most actively drilled), the Osage (a limestone formation above the Meramec), and the Woodford Shale (below the Meramec). Each formation has multiple productive benches. The stacked nature of these formations means that a single tract can support dozens of wells across multiple zones, which adds significant value to mineral ownership.