The Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana is the home of the Bakken and Three Forks plays — one of the premier light-oil resource basins in North America.
The Williston Basin (Bakken) has approximately 58,879 wells operated by 2,364 companies. Below are the largest operators by well count. Data as of 2026-09-03.
| # | Operator | Wells | Have produced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Continental Resources | 4,343 | 3,563 |
| 2 | Hess Bakken Investments Ii | 2,903 | 2,520 |
| 3 | Ridge Oil & Gas | 2,769 | 2,758 |
| 4 | Whiting Petroleum Corp. | 2,685 | 2,233 |
| 5 | Devon Energy Williston,LLC | 2,375 | 2,141 |
| 6 | Oasis Petroleum North America | 2,354 | 1,944 |
| 7 | Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company | 1,679 | 1,175 |
| 8 | XTO Energy | 1,427 | 1,088 |
| 9 | EOG Resources | 1,371 | 833 |
| 10 | Enerplus Resources | 1,369 | 1,094 |
| 11 | Marathon Oil Company | 1,342 | 1,156 |
| 12 | Petrohunt | 1,331 | 1,049 |
| 13 | Mmgl Mt I, LLC | 1,121 | 932 |
| 14 | Slawson Exploration Company | 933 | 651 |
| 15 | Amerada Hess | 764 | 489 |
| 16 | Kraken Operating | 741 | 637 |
| 17 | Cobra Oil & Gas | 697 | 631 |
| 18 | Morning Star Oil Company | 621 | 605 |
| 19 | Formentera Operations LLC | 558 | 420 |
| 20 | Denbury Onshore | 545 | 449 |
| 21 | White Rock Oil & Gas | 527 | 495 |
| 22 | Fidelity Exploration & Production Company | 526 | 324 |
| 23 | Neptune Operating LLC | 517 | 481 |
| 24 | Shell Oil Company | 483 | 32 |
| 25 | Hunt Oil Company | 458 | 274 |
The largest operators in the Williston Basin (Bakken) by well count in this snapshot are Continental Resources (4,343 wells), Hess Bakken Investments Ii (2,903 wells), Ridge Oil & Gas (2,769 wells), Whiting Petroleum Corp. (2,685 wells), Devon Energy Williston,LLC (2,375 wells). The snapshot includes 2,364 operators and is dated 2026-09-03.
No. “Have produced” counts wells with a recorded first-production date. It does not confirm current production or current royalty payments. The “Wells” column counts well records associated with each operator in this basin snapshot.
Use the linked operator profiles and basin mineral-rights guide for related information. The inquiry link below provides a way to contact Buckhead about your interest.
Explore Williston Basin (Bakken) mineral rights → Compare operators head-to-head →
Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests under wells operated by any of these companies — a free, no-obligation written offer based on your specific tract, operator, and decimal interest. No broker commissions; closings in 30–45 days.
Get a Free OfferOwn minerals here? Sell your Williston Basin (Bakken) interests — free written offer →
Largest US Oil & Gas Operators — the national leaderboard →
Well counts compiled by Buckhead Energy from state oil & gas regulator records (data as of 2026-09-03); reflect wells where each company is the current operator of record in the Williston Basin (Bakken). Informational only.
Get a fair offer from a direct buyer with 20 years in business.
Sell My Mineral Rights