The largest oil and gas operators active in Montana — ranked by total well count, with recent drilling activity, DUC inventory, and producing-well counts for each. Click any operator to see their full profile and current permits.
Refreshed monthly from BOGC well-header records. Data current as of 2026-07-04.
As of 2026-07-04, the most active operator in Montana is Ridge Oil & Gas with 2,769 wells on record, across the top 100 ranked operators, per Montana Board of Oil & Gas Conservation (BOGC) records.
| # | Operator | Wells | Permits 24mo | DUCs | Producing | Top Formation | Top County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ridge Oil & Gas | 2,769 | 0 | 11 | 2,758 | Bowdoin-Greenhorn | Phillips |
| 2 | Fidelity Exploration & Production Company | 1,610 | 0 | 65 | 1,165 | Powder River Basin | Big Horn |
| 3 | Northwestern | 1,601 | 3 | 160 | 1,422 | Niobrara Fm | Blaine |
| 4 | Somont Oil Company | 1,006 | 0 | 119 | 848 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 5 | Mmgl Mt I, LLC | 968 | 0 | 181 | 783 | Judith River- Eagle | Fallon |
| 6 | New Horizon Resources | 933 | 0 | 326 | 602 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 7 | Denbury Onshore | 691 | 0 | 207 | 460 | Powder River Basin | Powder River |
| 8 | Mcr | 581 | 0 | 122 | 445 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 9 | Montana Power Company | 517 | 0 | 370 | 50 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 10 | Brown J Burns Operating Company | 516 | 0 | 373 | 88 | Niobrara Fm | Blaine |
| 11 | Morning Star Oil Company | 495 | 15 | 5 | 481 | Bakken | Richland |
| 12 | Continental Resources | 491 | 22 | 37 | 375 | Bakken | Richland |
| 13 | Texaco Exploration And Production | 486 | 0 | 327 | 14 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 14 | Montalban Oil Etal | 434 | 0 | 41 | 374 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 15 | A B Energy | 380 | 0 | 6 | 374 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 16 | True Oil | 374 | 0 | 202 | 42 | Central Montana Uplift | Musselshell |
| 17 | Shell Oil Company | 366 | 0 | 225 | 14 | Judith River- Eagle | Fallon |
| 18 | Ocean Energy | 327 | 0 | 199 | 54 | Niobrara Fm | Hill |
| 19 | Devon Energy Production Company | 318 | 0 | 134 | 79 | Niobrara Fm | Hill |
| 20 | Keesun | 285 | 0 | 76 | 194 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 21 | Fx Drilling Company | 280 | 0 | 100 | 164 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 22 | Cardinal Petroleum | 272 | 0 | 187 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 23 | Klabzuba Oil & Gas | 271 | 0 | 140 | 106 | Niobrara Fm | Hill |
| 24 | Kraken Operating | 270 | 68 | 21 | 224 | Williston Basin | Richland |
| 25 | Summit Gas Resources | 243 | 0 | 34 | 164 | Powder River Basin | Big Horn |
| 26 | White Rock Oil & Gas | 235 | 9 | 11 | 224 | Bakken | Richland |
| 27 | Balko | 220 | 0 | 30 | 189 | Sweetgrass Arch | Pondera |
| 28 | Norfolk Energy | 220 | 0 | 203 | 2 | Niobrara Fm | Blaine |
| 29 | Conocophillips Company | 217 | 0 | 106 | 9 | Heath Fm | Rosebud |
| 30 | H&R Energy | 215 | 0 | 14 | 201 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 31 | Union Oil Company Of California | 211 | 0 | 151 | 21 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 32 | Phillips Petroleum Company | 205 | 0 | 146 | 5 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 33 | Wbi Energy Transmission | 203 | 0 | 121 | 6 | Judith River- Eagle | Fallon |
| 34 | Equitable Resources Exploration | 189 | 0 | 118 | 22 | Sweetgrass Arch | Pondera |
| 35 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | 187 | 0 | 76 | 35 | Judith River- Eagle | Fallon |
| 36 | Encore Operating | 185 | 0 | 81 | 39 | Judith River- Eagle | Fallon |
| 37 | Ranck Oil Company | 184 | 0 | 23 | 153 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 38 | Western Natural Gas Company | 179 | 0 | 64 | 97 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 39 | Powder River Gas | 165 | 0 | 11 | 0 | Powder River Basin | Powder River |
| 40 | High Crest Oils | 162 | 0 | 155 | 1 | Niobrara Fm | Hill |
| 41 | Citation Oil & Gas | 160 | 0 | 33 | 122 | Niobrara Fm | Blaine |
| 42 | Quicksilver Resources | 154 | 0 | 86 | 63 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 43 | Sohio Petroleum Company | 152 | 0 | 99 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Chouteau |
| 44 | Fulton Producing Company | 151 | 0 | 114 | 2 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 45 | Slawson Exploration Company | 149 | 12 | 21 | 64 | Bakken | Richland |
| 46 | Amerada Hess | 145 | 0 | 68 | 1 | Central Montana Uplift | Musselshell |
| 47 | D90 Energy | 145 | 0 | 26 | 119 | Bakken | Sheridan |
| 48 | Fuel Resources Development Company | 145 | 0 | 124 | 1 | Central Montana Uplift | Blaine |
| 49 | Oasis Petroleum North America | 142 | 6 | 14 | 100 | Bakken | Roosevelt |
| 50 | Whiting Petroleum CORP | 138 | 6 | 6 | 85 | Bakken | Richland |
| 51 | Mcalester Fuel Company | 137 | 0 | 50 | 0 | Heath Fm | Musselshell |
| 52 | Mont Mil Operating Company | 133 | 0 | 120 | 10 | Sweetgrass Arch | Pondera |
| 53 | Omimex Canada | 132 | 0 | 67 | 33 | Sweetgrass Arch | Liberty |
| 54 | Mondak Utilities Company & Fidelity Gas Company | 126 | 0 | 67 | 0 | Judith River- Eagle | Fallon |
| 55 | K2 America | 126 | 0 | 52 | 25 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 56 | Texas Pacific Oil Company | 125 | 0 | 42 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 57 | Cenex | 124 | 0 | 51 | 24 | Central Montana Uplift | Petroleum |
| 58 | Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Company | 122 | 0 | 57 | 48 | Judith River- Eagle | Fallon |
| 59 | Cline Production Company | 121 | 0 | 28 | 90 | Heath Fm | Rosebud |
| 60 | Bacon J R Drilling | 120 | 0 | 48 | 2 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 61 | Carter Oil Company | 116 | 0 | 80 | 1 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 62 | Amoco Production Company | 116 | 0 | 74 | 10 | Big Horn Basin | Carbon |
| 63 | Ohio Oil Company | 116 | 0 | 59 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 64 | Highline Exploration | 116 | 0 | 17 | 88 | Powder River Basin | Big Horn |
| 65 | Midlands Energy CO | 112 | 0 | 74 | 2 | Bowdoin-Greenhorn | Phillips |
| 66 | Cavalier Petroleum | 111 | 0 | 28 | 80 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 67 | Gulf Oil | 110 | 0 | 75 | 0 | Williston Basin | Blaine |
| 68 | Elenburg Exploration | 110 | 0 | 101 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Chouteau |
| 69 | Exxon Mobil | 109 | 0 | 69 | 36 | Williston Basin | Valley |
| 70 | Cut Bank Resources | 106 | 0 | 54 | 37 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 71 | Atlantic Richfield Company | 105 | 0 | 62 | 0 | Williston Basin | Valley |
| 72 | Lone Wolf Operating Company | 104 | 0 | 14 | 88 | Niobrara Fm | Blaine |
| 73 | Poplar Resources LLC | 103 | 0 | 21 | 79 | Bakken | Roosevelt |
| 74 | Kipling Energy Incorporated | 102 | 0 | 33 | 55 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 75 | Encana Oil & Gas | 102 | 0 | 26 | 14 | Niobrara Fm | Blaine |
| 76 | California Company | 101 | 0 | 52 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 77 | Beartooth Oil & Gas Company | 99 | 0 | 41 | 54 | Heath Fm | Musselshell |
| 78 | Croft Petroleum Company | 99 | 0 | 62 | 17 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 79 | Sands Oil Company | 98 | 0 | 26 | 56 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 80 | Murphy Exploration & Production Company | 98 | 0 | 79 | 10 | Bakken | Roosevelt |
| 81 | Comanche Drilling Company | 95 | 0 | 60 | 15 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 82 | Contango Resources Company | 93 | 0 | 6 | 87 | Big Horn Basin | Carbon |
| 83 | Kingsherwood Oil | 93 | 0 | 20 | 68 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 84 | Provident Energy Of Montana | 93 | 0 | 15 | 77 | Sweetgrass Arch | Pondera |
| 85 | Sumatra Oil | 93 | 0 | 60 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Toole |
| 86 | Hawley Oil Company | 92 | 0 | 12 | 72 | Sweetgrass Arch | Pondera |
| 87 | Tomahawk Oil Company | 91 | 0 | 27 | 61 | Heath Fm | Rosebud |
| 88 | Ep Energy E And P Company | 91 | 0 | 75 | 3 | Sweetgrass Arch | Hill |
| 89 | Redstone Gas Partners | 91 | 0 | 12 | 0 | Powder River Basin | Big Horn |
| 90 | Davis Oil Company | 89 | 0 | 74 | 0 | Powder River Basin | Powder River |
| 91 | Placid Oil Company | 89 | 0 | 77 | 1 | Powder River Basin | Carter |
| 92 | Ang Holding USA CORP | 88 | 0 | 34 | 53 | Central Montana Uplift | Blaine |
| 93 | Mogo Reagan LLC | 87 | 0 | 4 | 83 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 94 | Tarrant R C | 87 | 0 | 59 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Glacier |
| 95 | Farmers Union Central Exchange | 87 | 0 | 42 | 0 | Heath Fm | Sheridan |
| 96 | Montana Energy Company LLC | 86 | 0 | 20 | 66 | Central Montana Uplift | Rosebud |
| 97 | Petrohunt | 85 | 0 | 21 | 52 | Bakken | Richland |
| 98 | Pan American Petroleum | 81 | 0 | 49 | 0 | Sweetgrass Arch | Hill |
| 99 | Luff Exploration Company | 79 | 0 | 42 | 22 | Bakken | Richland |
| 100 | Noble Energy | 79 | 0 | 6 | 40 | Bowdoin-Greenhorn | Phillips |
Source: Montana Board of Oil & Gas Conservation well-header records.
Ranking: Operators ranked by total well count under their current operator-of-record. Recent permits cover the last 24 months; DUC count is wells spudded but not yet producing; producing-well count is wells with a first-production date on file.
Why it matters: Knowing who operates the most wells in Montana — and who's drilling the most NOW — helps mineral owners understand who they're dealing with at the lease level.
Refresh cadence: Monthly. Data current as of 2026-07-04.
Whether your operator is on this list or not, your Montana mineral interest may be more valuable than you think. Get a free, no-obligation written offer.
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State: Montana
Operators ranked: 100
Total wells: 26,110
Permits (24mo): 141
Last refresh: 2026-07-04
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