The largest oil and gas operators active in North Dakota — 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 daily from NDIC well-header records. Data current as of 2026-09-16.
Quick answer: By wells operated, Continental Resources is the largest oil and gas operator in North Dakota with 3,580 wells on record, followed by Hess Bakken Investments Ii (2,903) and Whiting Petroleum Corp. (2,548). Ranked from North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) well-header records (as of 2026-09-16). This is an operated-well-count ranking, not a revenue or market-cap ranking.
As of 2026-09-16, the most active operator in North Dakota is Continental Resources with 3,580 wells on record and 116 recent permits, across the top 100 ranked operators, per North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) records.
| # | Operator | Wells | Permits 24mo | DUCs | Producing | Top Formation | Top County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Continental Resources | 3,580 | 116 | 137 | 2,973 | Bakken | Williams |
| 2 | Hess Bakken Investments Ii | 2,903 | 235 | 178 | 2,522 | Bakken | Mountrail |
| 3 | Whiting Petroleum CORP | 2,548 | 54 | 71 | 2,149 | Bakken | Mountrail |
| 4 | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | 2,344 | 183 | 119 | 2,117 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 5 | Oasis Petroleum North America | 2,212 | 150 | 131 | 1,846 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 6 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | 1,528 | 128 | 86 | 1,141 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 7 | Xto Energy | 1,409 | 146 | 78 | 1,081 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 8 | Enerplus Resources | 1,357 | 108 | 52 | 1,094 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 9 | Marathon Oil Company | 1,328 | 27 | 60 | 1,154 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 10 | Eog Resources | 1,312 | 60 | 72 | 829 | Bakken | Mountrail |
| 11 | Petrohunt | 1,246 | 46 | 51 | 1,001 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 12 | Slawson Exploration Company | 786 | 32 | 32 | 593 | Bakken | Mountrail |
| 13 | Amerada Hess | 723 | 0 | 200 | 488 | Bakken | Williams |
| 14 | Cobra Oil & Gas | 694 | 0 | 49 | 631 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 15 | Formentera Operations LLC | 558 | 87 | 31 | 424 | Bakken | Divide |
| 16 | Neptune Operating LLC | 517 | 3 | 6 | 481 | Bakken | Williams |
| 17 | Denbury Onshore | 479 | 1 | 24 | 411 | Judith River- Eagle | Bowman |
| 18 | Kraken Operating | 462 | 63 | 3 | 417 | Bakken | Williams |
| 19 | Hunt Oil Company | 439 | 81 | 92 | 272 | Bakken | Mountrail |
| 20 | Lime Rock Resources Iiia | 398 | 6 | 15 | 350 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 21 | Scout Energy Management | 388 | 2 | 18 | 370 | Bakken | Billings |
| 22 | Murex Petroleum | 352 | 20 | 15 | 302 | Bakken | Williams |
| 23 | Phoenix Operating Company | 294 | 241 | 90 | 117 | Williston Basin | Divide |
| 24 | White Rock Oil & Gas | 289 | 1 | 15 | 271 | Bakken | Billings |
| 25 | Zavanna Energy Operating, LLC | 288 | 20 | 28 | 197 | Bakken | Williams |
| 26 | Silver Hill Energy Partners | 247 | 56 | 14 | 187 | Williston Basin | Williams |
| 27 | Foundation Energy Management | 239 | 0 | 5 | 179 | Bakken | Billings |
| 28 | Koda Resources Operating LLC | 227 | 129 | 35 | 62 | Williston Basin | Divide |
| 29 | Cardinal Petroleum | 184 | 0 | 143 | 35 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 30 | Eagle Operating | 164 | 0 | 49 | 112 | Bakken | Renville |
| 31 | Citation Oil & Gas | 160 | 0 | 12 | 146 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 32 | Empire North Dakota LLC | 158 | 5 | 16 | 135 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 33 | Bhp Petroleum Company | 155 | 0 | 70 | 57 | Bakken | Burke |
| 34 | Texaco Exploration And Production | 155 | 0 | 9 | 146 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 35 | Shell Oil Company | 147 | 0 | 92 | 18 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 36 | Conocophillips Company | 146 | 0 | 50 | 66 | Bakken | Stark |
| 37 | Union Pacific Resources Company | 137 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Williston Basin | Slope |
| 38 | Sogc INC | 137 | 2 | 5 | 99 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 39 | Morning Star Oil Company | 125 | 0 | 1 | 124 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 40 | True Oil | 124 | 9 | 48 | 51 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 41 | 31 Operating | 124 | 0 | 11 | 113 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 42 | Wpx Energy | 124 | 0 | 3 | 6 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 43 | Chesapeake Energy | 118 | 0 | 2 | 13 | Williston Basin | Slope |
| 44 | Amoco Production Company | 118 | 0 | 67 | 14 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 45 | Fulcrum Energy Operating LLC | 112 | 0 | 5 | 107 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 46 | Zargon Oil Nd | 111 | 0 | 4 | 107 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 47 | Zenergy | 111 | 0 | 3 | 4 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 48 | Sm Energy Company | 111 | 0 | 9 | 87 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 49 | Anr Production Company | 110 | 0 | 7 | 91 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 50 | Texaco | 107 | 0 | 47 | 35 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 51 | Petroshale US | 104 | 7 | 0 | 66 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 52 | Calvert Drilling | 104 | 0 | 99 | 2 | Bakken | Burke |
| 53 | Remuda Energy Development | 101 | 0 | 0 | 101 | Judith River- Eagle | Bowman |
| 54 | Gulf Oil | 101 | 0 | 59 | 22 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 55 | Qep Energy Company | 99 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 56 | Northern Resources | 98 | 0 | 61 | 0 | Williston Basin | Steele |
| 57 | Koch Industries | 97 | 0 | 26 | 53 | Bakken | Williams |
| 58 | Chevron | 95 | 0 | 36 | 57 | Bakken | Billings |
| 59 | Tenneco Oil Company | 95 | 0 | 49 | 8 | Bakken | Billings |
| 60 | Hess | 92 | 0 | 8 | 46 | Bakken | Williams |
| 61 | Apache | 91 | 0 | 46 | 31 | Bakken | Billings |
| 62 | Pennzoil Production Company | 91 | 0 | 44 | 25 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 63 | Mcor Oil & Gas | 88 | 0 | 4 | 83 | Bakken | Burke |
| 64 | Crescent Point Energy | 87 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Bakken | Williams |
| 65 | Kissinger Petroleums | 86 | 0 | 67 | 6 | Bakken | Renville |
| 66 | Luff Exploration Company | 84 | 0 | 21 | 61 | Williston Basin | Bowman |
| 67 | Lime Rock Resources V-A, | 83 | 0 | 0 | 79 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 68 | Inexco Oil Company | 82 | 0 | 59 | 8 | Bakken | Ward |
| 69 | Samson Resources Company | 79 | 0 | 14 | 13 | Bakken | Divide |
| 70 | W H Hunt Trust Estate | 78 | 0 | 46 | 27 | Bakken | Billings |
| 71 | Armstrong Operating | 76 | 0 | 49 | 21 | Bakken | Stark |
| 72 | Wardwilliston Company | 76 | 0 | 8 | 67 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 73 | Ballantyne Oil | 75 | 0 | 20 | 48 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 74 | Earl Schwartz Company | 73 | 0 | 22 | 46 | Bakken | Burke |
| 75 | Cardinal Drilling Company | 71 | 0 | 65 | 3 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 76 | Cornerstone Natural Resources | 70 | 0 | 1 | 44 | Bakken | Burke |
| 77 | D90 Energy | 69 | 0 | 3 | 65 | Bakken | Burke |
| 78 | Sun Explorationproduction Company | 68 | 0 | 48 | 6 | Bakken | Williams |
| 79 | International Energy Company | 68 | 0 | 65 | 0 | Williston Basin | Slope |
| 80 | Oxy | 67 | 0 | 7 | 2 | Bakken | Dunn |
| 81 | Meridian Oil | 66 | 0 | 18 | 23 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 82 | Berenergy | 66 | 1 | 3 | 63 | Bakken | Renville |
| 83 | Chandler & Associates | 65 | 0 | 52 | 10 | Bakken | Renville |
| 84 | Bta Oil Producers | 64 | 0 | 14 | 27 | Bakken | Bowman |
| 85 | Ridge Oil & Gas, LLC Dba Ridge Energy | 63 | 0 | 0 | 63 | Judith River- Eagle | Bowman |
| 86 | Spotted Hawk Development LLC | 63 | 16 | 1 | 18 | Bakken | Mclean |
| 87 | Great American Royalties | 62 | 0 | 28 | 32 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 88 | Farmers Union Central Exchange | 62 | 0 | 47 | 8 | Bakken | Billings |
| 89 | Coastal Oil & Gas | 61 | 0 | 22 | 11 | Bakken | Billings |
| 90 | Prosper Energy | 61 | 0 | 11 | 50 | Bakken | Burke |
| 91 | Fidelity Exploration & Production Company | 58 | 0 | 1 | 23 | Bakken | Bowman |
| 92 | I J Wilhite | 58 | 0 | 45 | 11 | Bakken | Bottineau |
| 93 | Statoil Oil & Gas | 57 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 94 | Depco | 57 | 0 | 40 | 10 | Bakken | Williams |
| 95 | Westport Oil & Gas Company | 56 | 0 | 7 | 25 | Bakken | Billings |
| 96 | Rim Operating | 54 | 0 | 4 | 50 | Bakken | Williams |
| 97 | Phoenix Petrocorp | 54 | 0 | 2 | 52 | Bakken | Burke |
| 98 | Petroleum | 53 | 0 | 43 | 9 | Bakken | Renville |
| 99 | Liberty Resources Management | 52 | 0 | 5 | 38 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
| 100 | Tiger Oil Company | 51 | 0 | 33 | 2 | Bakken | Mc Kenzie |
Source: North Dakota Industrial Commission 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 North Dakota — and who's drilling the most NOW — helps mineral owners understand who they're dealing with at the lease level.
Refresh cadence: Daily. Data current as of 2026-09-16.
Cite this dataset
Permanently archived and citable via a DOI on Zenodo (CERN), under a CC BY 4.0 license. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21442884 · View on Zenodo
License & attribution: This data is licensed CC BY 4.0. You are free to share and adapt it, including commercially, provided you credit “Buckhead Energy” and link back to this page or the DOI above.
By wells operated, Continental Resources is the largest oil and gas operator in North Dakota, with 3,580 wells on record per North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) data. Note that "biggest" by revenue or market capitalization can rank differently — this measures operated well count.
The top 10 operators by operated well count are: Continental Resources, Hess Bakken Investments Ii, Whiting Petroleum Corp., Devon Energy Williston,LLC, Oasis Petroleum North America, Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company, XTO Energy, Enerplus Resources, Marathon Oil Company, EOG Resources. The full top-100 ranking with permits, DUC inventory, and producing-well counts is in the leaderboard below.
Continental Resources operates the most wells in North Dakota at 3,580, with 116 permits filed in the last 24 months, per NDIC well-header records.
This leaderboard ranks the top 100 operators active in North Dakota by total well count. Many more file with the regulator; these are the largest by operated wells.
By wells operated — the count of wells under each company's current operator-of-record designation in North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) records. It is not a revenue, production-volume, or market-capitalization ranking.
Whether your operator is on this list or not, your North Dakota mineral interest may be more valuable than you think. Get a free, no-obligation written offer.
Get Your Free Written OfferNorth Dakota Oil & Gas Industry Snapshot Dashboard
North Dakota Drilling Activity Report (permits, DUCs, spuds)
US Mineral Market Activity Index (all 11 states ranked 0–100)
US Mineral & Drilling Activity Index (national rollup)
Texas Industry Snapshot (largest producing state)
Largest US Operators — National Leaderboard
Browse the Full Operator Directory
Live Oil & Gas Prices (WTI + Henry Hub)
Sell Your North Dakota Mineral Rights
State: North Dakota
Operators ranked: 100
Total wells: 35,816
Permits (24mo): 2,035
Last refresh: 2026-09-16
Free written offers on North Dakota mineral rights — under any operator.
Get Your Free Offer