Who are the largest operators in the Williston Basin (Bakken)?

The largest operators in the Williston Basin (Bakken) by well count are Continental Resources (4,336 wells), Hess Bakken Investments Ii (2,896 wells), Ridge Oil & Gas (2,769 wells), Whiting Petroleum CORP (2,680 wells), Devon Energy Williston,LLC (2,373 wells), out of 2,360 operators total.

How many oil & gas wells are in the Williston Basin (Bakken)?

There are approximately 58,575 oil and gas wells operated across the Williston Basin (Bakken), per state regulator records compiled by Buckhead Energy (as of 2026-06-23).

Can I sell mineral rights in the Williston Basin (Bakken)?

Yes. Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests in the Williston Basin (Bakken) directly — a free written offer, no broker commissions, and a 7-14 day close.

Top Operators in the Williston Basin (Bakken) by Well Count

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 58,575 wells operated by 2,360 companies. Below are the largest operators by well count. Data as of 2026-06-23.

#	Operator	Wells	Producing
1	Continental Resources	4,336	3,561
2	Hess Bakken Investments Ii	2,896	2,511
3	Ridge Oil & Gas	2,769	2,758
4	Whiting Petroleum CORP	2,680	2,222
5	Devon Energy Williston,LLC	2,373	2,125
6	Oasis Petroleum North America	2,343	1,922
7	Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company	1,657	1,158
8	Xto Energy	1,408	1,080
9	Eog Resources	1,360	833
10	Enerplus Resources	1,351	1,089
11	Marathon Oil Company	1,342	1,156
12	Petrohunt	1,326	1,049
13	Mmgl Mt I, LLC	967	782
14	Slawson Exploration Company	942	662
15	Amerada Hess	764	489
16	Kraken Operating	709	621
17	Denbury Onshore	699	599
18	Cobra Oil & Gas	697	631
19	Morning Star Oil Company	619	604
20	Fidelity Exploration & Production Company	526	324
21	Neptune Operating LLC	523	487
22	White Rock Oil & Gas	522	495
23	Formentera Operations LLC	515	416
24	Shell Oil Company	483	32
25	Hunt Oil Company	444	274

Explore Williston Basin (Bakken) mineral rights → Compare operators head-to-head →

Own Mineral Rights in the Williston Basin (Bakken)?

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 7–14 days.

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Operator leaderboards by basin

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Bend Arch / Fort Worth Basin

Well counts compiled by Buckhead Energy from state oil & gas regulator records (data as of 2026-06-23); reflect wells where each company is the current operator of record in the Williston Basin (Bakken). Informational only.