16,668 wells across 1,622 recorded operators, with 7 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 Sweetgrass Arch formation in Montana has 16,668 wells on record across 1,622 recorded operators, with 7 drilling permits filed in the 24-month window at source refresh. Its operators with the most wells on record are Somont Oil Company, New Horizon Resources, McR, Montalban Oil Etal and A B Energy. 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 Sweetgrass Arch formation in Montana:
| # | Operator | Wells in Sweetgrass Arch |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somont Oil Company | 1,006 |
| 2 | New Horizon Resources | 933 |
| 3 | Mcr | 578 |
| 4 | Montalban Oil Etal | 426 |
| 5 | A B Energy | 380 |
| 6 | Montana Power Company | 303 |
| 7 | Northwestern | 286 |
| 8 | Keesun | 282 |
| 9 | Texaco Exploration And Production | 280 |
| 10 | Fx Drilling Company | 278 |
The Montana counties with the most Sweetgrass Arch activity:
Toole, Glacier, Pondera, Liberty, Chouteau
Drilling permits in Montana each year, the Sweetgrass Arch count and share of them, and the median lateral length of those Sweetgrass Arch permits.
| Year | State permits | This formation | Share | Median lateral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 208 | 3 | 1.4% | n<5 |
| 2025 | 54 | 4 | 7.4% | n<5 |
| 2024 | 72 | 4 | 5.6% | n<5 |
| 2023 | 61 | 6 | 9.8% | n<5 |
| 2022 | 65 | 9 | 13.8% | n<5 |
| 2021 | 50 | 6 | 12% | n<5 |
| 2020 | 22 | <3 | — | n<5 |
| 2019 | 75 | 6 | 8% | n<5 |
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 Sweetgrass Arch is a formation/play group recorded in Montana, with 16,668 wells on file across 1,622 distinct operators of record. Operators have filed 7 drilling permits targeting the Sweetgrass Arch 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.
16,668 wells target the Sweetgrass Arch in Montana, worked by 1,622 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
The Sweetgrass Arch operators with the most wells on record in Montana are Somont Oil Company, New Horizon Resources, McR, Montalban Oil Etal and A B Energy. The full ranking is in the table on this page. Formation summary date: 2026-11-06.
Operators filed 7 drilling permits targeting the Sweetgrass Arch 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 7 new drilling permits targeting the Sweetgrass Arch 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.
Sweetgrass Arch activity in Montana includes 16,668 wells on record and 1,622 recorded operators, with 7 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 Sweetgrass Arch in Montana are Toole, Glacier, Pondera, Liberty, Chouteau. 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.
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Get Your Free Written OfferFormation: Sweetgrass Arch
State: Montana
Total wells: 16,668
Recorded operators: 1,622
Permits 24mo: 7
Summary date: 2026-11-06
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