Stored formation/play groups ranked by recorded well count, with recorded operators and primary counties. Coverage is limited to the groups included below.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Daily refresh scheduled. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01.
Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. Formation/play groups require at least 25 recorded wells and a known operator; the directory shows at most 50 groups ranked by well count. Operator counts reflect distinct recorded operator names, not verified current operations. Permit counts use the preceding 24 months at summary refresh. Grouping can represent a formation, play or basin; it is not an inventory of every geological formation. Figures are Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data; counts under 3 wells are withheld.
Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Scheduled refreshes do not guarantee that new regulator filings are available; the state regulator remains the record of any specific well.
Quick answer: The highest well-count groups listed for North Dakota are the Bakken, Williston Basin and Judith River- Eagle, led by the Bakken with 35,128 wells on record. Ranked by well count across 3 tracked formations from Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. These are limited stored records; reporting windows are evaluated at source refresh.
The highest well-count groups listed for North Dakota are the Bakken, Williston Basin and Judith River- Eagle, led by the Bakken with 35,128 wells on record. Ranked by well count across 3 tracked formations from Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. These are limited stored records; reporting windows are evaluated at source refresh.
Top Operators:
Continental Resources (2,375), Hess Bakken Investments Ii (2,316), Whiting Petroleum CORP (2,312), Oasis Petroleum North America (1,869), Devon Energy Williston,LLC (1,827), Eog Resources (1,225), Xto Energy (1,180), Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company (1,134), Petrohunt (1,112), Enerplus Resources (1,042)
Primary counties: Mc Kenzie, Williams, Mountrail, Dunn, Bottineau
Top Operators:
Continental Resources (744), Hess Bakken Investments Ii (593), Devon Energy Williston,LLC (529), Oasis Petroleum North America (356), Marathon Oil Company (332), Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company (330), Phoenix Operating Company (326), Enerplus Resources (315), Kraken Operating (309), Whiting Petroleum CORP (241)
Primary counties: Mc Kenzie, Williams, Dunn, Mountrail, Divide
Top Operators:
Continental Resources (480), Denbury Onshore (394), Remuda Energy Development (101), Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company (68), Ridge Oil & Gas, LLC Dba Ridge Energy (63), Luff Exploration Company (40), Fidelity Exploration & Production Company (25), Bta Oil Producers (24), Shell Oil Company (23), Joseph J C Paine & Associates (18)
Primary counties: Bowman, Slope
Source: Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data, aggregated by primary play / interpreted formation / basin.
Threshold: Groups require at least 25 recorded wells and a known operator. The directory shows up to 50 groups by well count; omitted groups are not evidence of no activity.
Owner context: These formation summaries describe reported activity. They do not establish ownership, payment entitlement or a value for an individual tract.
Refresh cadence: Daily refresh scheduled. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01.
The highest well-count formation/play groups listed for North Dakota are the Bakken, Williston Basin and Judith River- Eagle. This directory tracks 3 recorded formation/play groups ranked by well count, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. These are limited stored records; reporting windows are evaluated at source refresh.
The Bakken has the most wells among the listed North Dakota groups — 35,128 wells, worked by 1,290 recorded operators, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data. This is a well-count ranking, not a reserves or value ranking. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. These are limited stored records; reporting windows are evaluated at source refresh.
The operators with the most wells on record in the Bakken are Continental Resources, Hess Bakken Investments Ii, Whiting Petroleum Corp., Oasis Petroleum North America, Devon Energy Williston,LLC. Each formation card below lists its top operators by well count. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. These are limited stored records; reporting windows are evaluated at source refresh.
About 2,148 drilling permits were filed across the tracked North Dakota formations in the 24-month window at source refresh, per Buckhead Energy analysis of public oil and gas data — a rough measure of where new activity is concentrated. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. These are limited stored records; reporting windows are evaluated at source refresh.
Your deed and county records determine which formations your mineral rights cover; a tract can own multiple stacked formations. This directory is informational only, not a valuation. Stored source refresh: 2026-11-01. These are limited stored records; reporting windows are evaluated at source refresh.
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Get Your Free Written OfferState: North Dakota
Active formations: 3
Total wells: 44,111
Recent permits: 2,148
Last refresh: 2026-11-01
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