The complete live dashboard of the North Dakota oil and gas industry — top operators, hottest counties, most-active formations (SCOOP, STACK, Woodford, Mississippi Lime, Cherokee Platform), current permit pipeline, DUC stack, recent rig activity, and newly producing wells. Refreshed monthly from OCC well-header records.
Data as of August 1, 2026 Source: North Dakota Industrial Commission · refreshed monthly
As of August 1, 2026, North Dakota had 100 active oil & gas operators across 42 counties and 3 formations, led by Continental Resources with 3,575 wells, with 1,089 drilling permits filed in the last 24 months and 194 drilled-but-uncompleted (DUC) wells in inventory, per North Dakota Industrial Commission records.
The 10 largest operators of record in North Dakota, by total well count. See the full top-100 leaderboard →
| # | Operator | Wells | Permits 24mo | DUCs | Top Formation | Top County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Continental Resources | 3,575 | 119 | 146 | Bakken | Williams |
| 2 | Hess Bakken Investments Ii | 2,903 | 252 | 169 | Bakken | Mountrail |
| 3 | Whiting Petroleum CORP | 2,548 | 57 | 72 | Bakken | Mountrail |
| 4 | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | 2,344 | 201 | 110 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 5 | Oasis Petroleum North America | 2,207 | 158 | 141 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 6 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | 1,507 | 122 | 92 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 7 | Xto Energy | 1,394 | 144 | 67 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 8 | Enerplus Resources | 1,354 | 114 | 57 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 9 | Marathon Oil Company | 1,328 | 33 | 60 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 10 | Eog Resources | 1,307 | 55 | 66 | Bakken | Mountrail |
The 10 most-active oil and gas counties in North Dakota. See the full county rankings →
| County | Total Wells | Permits 24mo | Spuds 90d | DUCs | Top Operator | Top Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mc Kenzie | 10,959 | 520 | 37 | 999 | Oasis Petroleum North America | Bakken |
| Williams | 6,921 | 575 | 50 | 817 | Hess Bakken Investments Ii | Bakken |
| Mountrail | 5,745 | 334 | 26 | 466 | Hess Bakken Investments Ii | Bakken |
| Dunn | 5,217 | 276 | 0 | 389 | Enerplus Resources | Bakken |
| Bottineau | 2,538 | 7 | 1 | 1,094 | Cobra Oil & Gas | Bakken |
| Burke | 2,097 | 134 | 8 | 555 | Formentera Operations LLC | Bakken |
| Billings | 1,983 | 11 | 7 | 396 | Scout Energy Management | Bakken |
| Divide | 1,869 | 274 | 29 | 368 | Formentera Operations LLC | Bakken |
| Bowman | 1,579 | 5 | 0 | 227 | Continental Resources | Judith River- Eagle |
| Renville | 1,507 | 2 | 0 | 791 | Cobra Oil & Gas | Bakken |
The 10 most-active formations and plays in North Dakota. See all active North Dakota formations →
| Formation | Wells | Active Operators | Permits 24mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakken | 35,128 | 1,288 | 34 |
| Williston Basin | 7,256 | 432 | 2,131 |
| Judith River- Eagle | 1,442 | 87 | 0 |
| Permit Date | Well | API | County | Formation | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-27 | Mary 5700 43-10 6bx | 33105068580000 |
Williams | — | Enerplus Resources |
| 2026-07-27 | Cub 5700 43-10 3b | 33105068550000 |
Williams | — | Enerplus Resources |
| 2026-07-27 | Cub 5700 43-10 2b | 33105068540000 |
Williams | — | Enerplus Resources |
| 2026-07-27 | Cub 5700 43-10 4b | 33105068560000 |
Williams | — | Enerplus Resources |
| 2026-07-27 | Cub 5700 43-10 5b | 33105068570000 |
Williams | — | Enerplus Resources |
| 2026-07-24 | Saint-14-35-Pgn S610hx | 33013020710000 |
Burke | Williston Basin | Formentera Operations LLC |
| 2026-07-24 | Saint-14-35-Pgn S516h | 33013020740000 |
Burke | Williston Basin | Formentera Operations LLC |
| 2026-07-24 | Saint-14-35-Pgn S512h | 33013020720000 |
Burke | Williston Basin | Formentera Operations LLC |
| 2026-07-24 | Saint-14-35-Pgn S614h | 33013020730000 |
Burke | Williston Basin | Formentera Operations LLC |
| 2026-07-24 | Saint-14-35-Pgn S618h | 33013020750000 |
Burke | Williston Basin | Formentera Operations LLC |
| Spud Date | Days Ago | Well | Operator | County | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-26 | 5 | Amber 2234-7bh | Koda Resources Operating LLC | Divide | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-24 | 7 | Brynn Ferrari 1 Swd | Firebird Services, LLC | Divide | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-21 | 10 | Albert North 27-28-29 4h | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-18 | 13 | Albert North 27-28-29 3h | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-17 | 14 | Hercules 1 Swd | Firebird Services, LLC | Burke | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-16 | 15 | Mccallister-25-12-Pgn N516hf | Formentera Operations LLC | Burke | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-16 | 15 | West Shell 1-9-4h | Iron Oil Operating | Mountrail | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-15 | 16 | Ab-Kelly Renee Federal 29-26h Mb Ls | Murex Petroleum | Williams | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-15 | 16 | Albert North 27-28-29 2h | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-15 | 16 | Tachenko 144-98-8c-5-3h | Petrohunt | Billings | Williston Basin |
| First Prod | Days Producing | Well | Operator | County | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Mazama 1b | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Hbu Marmon Federal 24x-13a | Xto Energy | Williams | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Muri 1a-Mbh | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | Mc Kenzie | Bakken |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Mazama 1a | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Carlsbad 4b | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Hbu Marmon 24x-13c | Xto Energy | Williams | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Hbu Marmon 24x-13h | Xto Energy | Williams | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Steen Lw 12-13-24 #10h | Kraken Operating | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Mazama 1c | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-05-01 | 91 | Sandie 2b-Utfh | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | Mc Kenzie | Bakken |
| Spud Date | Days Waiting | Well | Operator | County | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-26 | 5 | Amber 2234-7bh | Koda Resources Operating LLC | Divide | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-24 | 7 | Brynn Ferrari 1 Swd | Firebird Services, LLC | Divide | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-21 | 10 | Albert North 27-28-29 4h | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-18 | 13 | Albert North 27-28-29 3h | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-17 | 14 | Hercules 1 Swd | Firebird Services, LLC | Burke | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-16 | 15 | West Shell 1-9-4h | Iron Oil Operating | Mountrail | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-16 | 15 | Mccallister-25-12-Pgn N516hf | Formentera Operations LLC | Burke | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-15 | 16 | West Shell 2-9-4h | Iron Oil Operating | Mountrail | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-15 | 16 | Tachenko 144-98-8c-5-3h | Petrohunt | Billings | Williston Basin |
| 2026-07-15 | 16 | Albert North 27-28-29 2h | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | Mc Kenzie | Williston Basin |
SCOOP, STACK, Cherokee Platform, Mississippi Lime, or anywhere else in the state — get a free written offer based on your specific tract and current operator activity.
Get Your Free Mineral ValuationSource: North Dakota Industrial Commission well-header and production filings.
Refresh cadence: Monthly. Data current as of August 1, 2026.
What's tracked: Permits filed in the last 24 months, wells spudded in the last 90 days, wells with first production in the last 6 months, drilled-uncompleted (DUC) wells, top operators by total well count, top counties by activity, and active formations/plays.
Disclaimer: Data is provided as a public-service reference. Buckhead Energy is not affiliated with the operators listed unless explicitly stated.
Top 100 North Dakota Operators Leaderboard
North Dakota Formations & Plays Directory
Top 500 Producing Wells in North Dakota
All Recent North Dakota Drilling Permits
All Recently Spudded North Dakota Wells
All Newly Producing North Dakota Wells
Full North Dakota DUC Inventory
North Dakota County Drilling Activity Rankings
As of August 1, 2026, this dashboard tracks 100 active North Dakota operators ranked by well count, led by Continental Resources, Hess Bakken Investments Ii, Whiting Petroleum CORP. See the Top North Dakota Operators leaderboard for the full ranking.
About 1,089 North Dakota drilling permits were filed in the trailing 24 months, per North Dakota Industrial Commission records (as of August 1, 2026).
A DUC is a "drilled but uncompleted" well — drilled but not yet hydraulically fractured or put on production. As of August 1, 2026, North Dakota had about 194 DUC wells in inventory. DUCs are a leading indicator of near-term completion and production activity.
North Dakota activity centers on the Bakken and Three Forks formations of the Williston Basin, among roughly 3 active formations across 42 counties, aggregated from North Dakota Industrial Commission records.
It is refreshed monthly from North Dakota Industrial Commission well and permit records. The current data is as of August 1, 2026.
Look up your operator in the operator directory to see their activity, then request a free written offer based on your specific tract, operator, formation, and decimal interest.
State: North Dakota
Operators: 100
Counties: 42
Formations: 3
Permits 24mo: 1,089
DUCs: 194
Data as of: August 1, 2026
Free written offers on North Dakota mineral rights — anywhere in the state.
Get Your Free Offer