5,092 wells across 630 recorded operators, with 5 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at summary refresh.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Quick answer: The Bakken formation in Montana has 5,092 wells on record across 630 recorded operators, with 5 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Morning Star Oil Company, Continental Resources, White Rock Oil & Gas, D90 Energy and Oasis Petroleum North America. Source: Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Bakken formation in Montana:
| # | Operator | Wells in Bakken |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morning Star Oil Company | 476 |
| 2 | Continental Resources | 408 |
| 3 | White Rock Oil & Gas | 225 |
| 4 | D90 Energy | 145 |
| 5 | Oasis Petroleum North America | 136 |
| 6 | Slawson Exploration Company | 132 |
| 7 | Whiting Petroleum CORP | 128 |
| 8 | Poplar Resources LLC | 102 |
| 9 | Kraken Operating | 90 |
| 10 | Murphy Exploration & Production Company | 76 |
The Montana counties with the most Bakken activity:
Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Daniels, Mccone
Drilling permits in Montana each year, the Bakken count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Bakken permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 208 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2025 | 54 | 4 | 7.4% | n<5 |
| 2024 | 72 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2023 | 61 | 3 | 4.9% | n<5 |
| 2022 | 65 | 6 | 9.2% | n<5 |
| 2021 | 50 | 19 | 38% | 10,676 ft |
| 2020 | 22 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2019 | 75 | 12 | 16% | 10,365 ft |
Share of each year’s Montana drilling permits by target formation, for the formations with the most permits.
| Year | Williston Basin | Bakken | Sweetgrass Arch | Powder River Basin | Central Montana Uplift | Heath Fm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 95.2% | — | 1.4% | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 85.2% | 7.4% | 7.4% | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 90.3% | — | 5.6% | — | 4.2% | — |
| 2023 | 75.4% | 4.9% | 9.8% | — | 4.9% | — |
| 2022 | 63.1% | 9.2% | 13.8% | — | 9.2% | — |
| 2021 | 42% | 38% | 12% | — | 8% | — |
| 2020 | 54.5% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 28% | 16% | 8% | 34.7% | 4% | 5.3% |
Buckhead Energy computes every figure on this page from grouped records in public oil and gas data. The page shows counts, sums, percentiles and indexes only; it does not list individual wells, leases or permits.
Counts under 3 wells and percentiles under 5 wells are withheld; totals are floors.
Share is the formation’s permits as a percent of the state’s permits that year. Median lateral length is published only when at least 5 permits stand behind it.
Last computed: 2026-11-06. These figures are informational only and are not a valuation of any mineral or royalty interest.
The Bakken is a formation/play group recorded in Montana, with 5,092 wells on file across 630 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 5 drilling permits targeting the Bakken in the 24-month window at summary refresh. These are stored records, not a live measure of drilling.
Recorded formation activity provides regional context. It does not establish ownership, future production, royalty payments or a value for an individual tract. Consult qualified professionals about your specific interest.
5,092 wells target the Bakken in Montana, worked by 630 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
The Bakken operators with the most wells on record in Montana are Morning Star Oil Company, Continental Resources, White Rock Oil & Gas, D90 Energy and Oasis Petroleum North America. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Operators filed 5 drilling permits targeting the Bakken in the 24-month window at source refresh, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Operators filed 5 new drilling permits targeting the Bakken in Montana in the 24-month window at source refresh. New permits and spuds record reported activity stages; they do not establish ongoing drilling, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Bakken activity in Montana includes 5,092 wells on record and 630 recorded operators, with 5 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh — from Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
The primary counties recorded for Bakken in Montana are Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Daniels, McCone. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Value depends on your net mineral acres or royalty decimal, the operator, the remaining drilling locations, and current oil and gas prices. This page is informational only, not a valuation. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Get a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and the current Bakken activity in your area.
Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Bakken
State: Montana
Total wells: 5,092
Recorded operators: 630
Permits 24mo: 5
Summary date: 2026-11-06
