639 wells across 217 active operators, with 4 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months.
Refreshed monthly from BOGC well-header records. Data current as of 2026-08-23.
Quick answer: The Big Horn Basin formation in Montana has 639 wells on record across 217 active operators, with 4 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months (as of 2026-08-23). Its most active operators by well count are Contango Resources Company, Big Sky Energy, Amoco Production Company, Montana Power Company and Northwestern. Compiled from Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) well-header records, refreshed monthly.
The operators with the most well counts targeting the Big Horn Basin formation in Montana:
| # | Operator | Wells in Big Horn Basin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contango Resources Company | 93 |
| 2 | Big Sky Energy | 38 |
| 3 | Amoco Production Company | 37 |
| 4 | Montana Power Company | 30 |
| 5 | Northwestern | 22 |
| 6 | Howell Petroleum | 21 |
| 7 | Cruse Tom | 9 |
| 8 | Struthers Oil & Gas | 9 |
| 9 | Murphy Nevel E | 8 |
| 10 | Ohio Oil Company | 8 |
The Montana counties with the most Big Horn Basin activity:
Carbon, Yellowstone
The most recent 3 drilling permits filed for Big Horn Basin wells in Montana:
| Permit Date | Well | API | County | Operator | Lateral (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-15 | Lightning 2-3 | 25009213070000 |
Carbon | Northwestern | — |
| 2026-04-15 | Spitfire 2-3 | 25009213060000 |
Carbon | Northwestern | — |
| 2026-04-15 | Hellcat 2-3 | 25009213050000 |
Carbon | Northwestern | — |
Wells targeting the Big Horn Basin that have been spudded but are waiting on completion — near-term production upside:
| Spud Date | Days Waiting | Well | Operator | County | Lateral (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | 85 | Spitfire 2-3 | Northwestern | Carbon | — |
The Big Horn Basin is one of Montana's active oil and gas plays, with 639 wells on file across 217 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 4 drilling permits targeting the Big Horn Basin in the last 24 months — a measure of how active the play is right now versus its historical baseline.
For mineral owners with interests in Carbon, Yellowstone, knowing whether your tract sits within an active Big Horn Basin footprint is a foundational valuation question. Active formations with consistent permit flow command premium pricing; legacy formations with steady but declining production are valued differently.
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639 wells target the Big Horn Basin in Montana, worked by 217 active operators, per BOGC well-header records (as of 2026-08-23).
By well count, the most active Big Horn Basin operators in Montana are Contango Resources Company, Big Sky Energy, Amoco Production Company, Montana Power Company and Northwestern. The full ranking is in the table on this page.
Operators filed 4 drilling permits targeting the Big Horn Basin in the last 24 months, and there is 1 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) well awaiting completion — a live measure of current activity, per BOGC records.
Operators filed 4 new drilling permits targeting the Big Horn Basin in Montana over the last 24 months, with 1 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) well awaiting completion. New permits and spuds are the clearest signal of active Big Horn Basin drilling, per BOGC records (as of 2026-08-23).
Big Horn Basin activity in Montana currently spans 639 wells on record and 217 active operators, led by Contango Resources Company, Big Sky Energy, Amoco Production Company, Montana Power Company and Northwestern, with 4 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months — refreshed monthly from Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) well-header records (as of 2026-08-23).
The most active Big Horn Basin counties in Montana are Carbon, Yellowstone.
Value depends on your net mineral acres or royalty decimal, the operator, the remaining drilling locations, and current oil and gas prices. Buckhead Energy checks your tract against current Big Horn Basin well and permit data and puts a free, no-obligation written offer in writing — this page is informational only, not a valuation.
Cite this dataset
Permanently archived and citable via a DOI on Zenodo (CERN), under a CC BY 4.0 license. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21442884 · View on Zenodo
License & attribution: This data is licensed CC BY 4.0. You are free to share and adapt it, including commercially, provided you credit “Buckhead Energy” and link back to this page or the DOI above.
Get a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and the current Big Horn Basin activity in your area.
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Formation: Big Horn Basin
State: Montana
Total wells: 639
Active operators: 217
Permits 24mo: 4
Last refresh: 2026-08-23