Statewide permits, drilled-but-uncompleted inventory, recent spuds, newly producing wells, and the most active operators and counties — compiled monthly from North Dakota Industrial Commission well-header records. Free to cite, quote, and embed with attribution.
Data as of · CC BY 4.0As of August 1, 2026, North Dakota has 1,089 drilling permits filed over the trailing 24 months, 194 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) wells in inventory, 161 wells spudded in the last 90 days, and 81 wells brought onto first production in the last six months, across 42 producing counties — per North Dakota Industrial Commission records compiled by Buckhead Energy.
| # | Operator | Wells | Permits 24mo | DUCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Continental Resources | 3,575 | 119 | 146 |
| 2 | Hess Bakken Investments Ii | 2,903 | 252 | 169 |
| 3 | Whiting Petroleum CORP | 2,548 | 57 | 72 |
| 4 | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | 2,344 | 201 | 110 |
| 5 | Oasis Petroleum North America | 2,207 | 158 | 141 |
Compiled from North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) well-header and production filings: permits over a trailing 24-month window, current DUC inventory (spudded, not yet completed), spuds in the last 90 days, and wells with first production within six months. Refreshed monthly; every figure carries the as-of date above.
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Wondering whether to sell now? See Is now a good time to sell mineral rights in North Dakota? — it ties this drilling data to the factors that decide timing, then routes to a free written offer.
Buckhead Energy, "North Dakota Drilling Activity Report — August 2026," compiled from North Dakota Industrial Commission records, August 1, 2026. https://www.buckheadenergy.com/north-dakota-drilling-activity-report
Journalists and researchers: monthly figures, county-level breakdowns, and CSV extracts are available on request — [email protected].