3,472 wells across 227 recorded operators, with 0 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 Niobrara Fm formation in Montana has 3,472 wells on record across 227 recorded operators, with 0 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Northwestern, Brown J Burns Operating Company, Ocean Energy, Klabzuba Oil & Gas and Devon Energy Production Company. 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 Niobrara Fm formation in Montana:
| # | Operator | Wells in Niobrara Fm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern | 1,014 |
| 2 | Brown J Burns Operating Company | 391 |
| 3 | Ocean Energy | 224 |
| 4 | Klabzuba Oil & Gas | 186 |
| 5 | Devon Energy Production Company | 166 |
| 6 | High Crest Oils | 130 |
| 7 | Norfolk Energy | 117 |
| 8 | Citation Oil & Gas | 97 |
| 9 | Montana Power Company | 72 |
| 10 | Lone Wolf Operating Company | 59 |
The Montana counties with the most Niobrara Fm activity:
Hill, Blaine
The Niobrara Fm is not among the Montana formations tracked separately in the yearly permit mix, so only statewide permit counts are shown.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 208 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 54 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 72 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 61 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 65 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 50 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 22 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 75 | — | — | — |
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 Niobrara Fm is a formation/play group recorded in Montana, with 3,472 wells on file across 227 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Niobrara Fm 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.
3,472 wells target the Niobrara Fm in Montana, worked by 227 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
The Niobrara Fm operators with the most wells on record in Montana are Northwestern, Brown J Burns Operating Company, Ocean Energy, Klabzuba Oil & Gas and Devon Energy Production Company. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Operators filed 0 drilling permits targeting the Niobrara Fm 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 0 new drilling permits targeting the Niobrara Fm 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.
Niobrara Fm activity in Montana includes 3,472 wells on record and 227 recorded operators, with 0 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 Niobrara Fm in Montana are Hill, Blaine. 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 Niobrara Fm activity in your area.
Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Niobrara Fm
State: Montana
Total wells: 3,472
Recorded operators: 227
Permits 24mo: 0
Summary date: 2026-11-06
