Why Operators Are Looking Beyond The Core SCOOP | STACK
Operators are looking beyond the core plays for their next inventory. As Tier 1 locations are drilled down, well economics tighten and acquisition opportunities dwindle, operators are looking beyond established targets to find their next wells.
The Osborn formation is a good example. Operators in Oklahoma are giving it a closer look, even if the industry hasn’t settled on how to spell its name—with or without the “e.” The practical problem is that Osborn wells carry a footprint that does not rival the Woodford, Meramec or Sycamore, limiting its appeal for large public operators looking to add meaningful scale. But the economics tell a different story. Over the past couple of years, only about 30 Osborn wells have been identified, with some potentially still unaccounted for.
That hasn’t stopped operators from testing the interval. Smaller operators such as Staghorn are drilling it, alongside large multi-basin operators like Continental. Continental’s breakevens suggest very strong economics, sub-$30/bbl. Early wells are forecasted to recover about 100 to 150 barrels per foot, nearly three times the ~50-55 bbl/ft seen in most Bakken wells, at comparable depths.
Osborn isn’t the only overlooked target getting attention. Cherokee activity in western Oklahoma shows a similar pattern, with smaller operators leasing acreage and even Devon entering the mix. These secondary intervals won’t reshape the U.S. supply outlook, but they could make a meaningful difference to the operators who unlock them. This idea surfaced repeatedly at EVOLVE 2026: the best place to find oil is where oil has already been found. With core inventory becoming harder to replace, operators are revisiting legacy interpretations and testing zones they once passed over.
The Remaining Inventory Story
The shift of attention to new zones isn’t new, but it is changing and growing. Our inventory view has changed alongside it, even since 2022. Back then, activity was concentrated in the Woodford and Meramec, with early signs of a shift toward secondary targets, like the Springer which was still in testing and development mode. The Enverus Intelligence® Research 2026 Anadarko Play Fundamentals digs into the viability across the Cherokee, Woodford, Meramec, Sycamore, Caney, Osage, and Springer, and the picture has widened. Viability expansion is largely in marginal acreage and secondary intervals. Interval coverage has grown, which means there is room to add more previously overlooked inventory locations to our estimates.
Well Log Coverage of Emerging Intervals
With our newly expanded log library, more well logs in the area will let us refine interpretations for these target zones. Having the subsurface interpretations will support deeper inventory analysis, and a better understanding of the M&A landscape.
We now have 7x wells with LAS in the Anadarko and SCOOP | STACK with over 80k wells with digital LAS.
As our analysts spend time on the road meeting with customers, these topics have come up more frequently. Let us know what other Tier 2 plays you’ve been hearing about.
About Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR)
Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations, and macroeconomic forecasts and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies, and capital providers worldwide. See additional disclosures here.
