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

The largest operators in the Williston Basin (Bakken) by well count are Continental Resources (4,341 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), out of 2,363 operators total.

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

There are approximately 58,742 oil and gas wells operated across the Williston Basin (Bakken), per state regulator records compiled by Buckhead Energy (as of 2026-08-03).

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 most closings in 30-45 days.

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

Name: Williston Basin (Bakken) — Operator Leaderboard by Well Count
Creator: Buckhead Energy
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 58,742 wells operated by 2,363 companies. Below are the largest operators by well count. Data as of 2026-08-03.

#	Operator	Wells	Producing
1	Continental Resources	4,341	3,561
2	Hess Bakken Investments Ii	2,903	2,517
3	Ridge Oil & Gas	2,769	2,758
4	Whiting Petroleum CORP	2,685	2,222
5	Devon Energy Williston,LLC	2,375	2,136
6	Oasis Petroleum North America	2,349	1,932
7	Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company	1,658	1,170
8	Xto Energy	1,412	1,087
9	Eog Resources	1,366	833
10	Enerplus Resources	1,361	1,093
11	Marathon Oil Company	1,342	1,156
12	Petrohunt	1,326	1,049
13	Mmgl Mt I, LLC	970	785
14	Slawson Exploration Company	933	651
15	Amerada Hess	764	489
16	Kraken Operating	724	620
17	Cobra Oil & Gas	697	631
18	Denbury Onshore	696	596
19	Morning Star Oil Company	621	605
20	Formentera Operations LLC	545	418
21	White Rock Oil & Gas	526	495
22	Fidelity Exploration & Production Company	526	324
23	Neptune Operating LLC	523	487
24	Shell Oil Company	483	32
25	Hunt Oil Company	448	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 30–45 days.

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Operator leaderboards by basin

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Michigan Basin

Appalachian Basin (Marcellus & Utica)

Bend Arch / Fort Worth Basin

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Largest US Oil & Gas Operators — the national leaderboard →

Well counts compiled by Buckhead Energy from state oil & gas regulator records (data as of 2026-08-03); reflect wells where each company is the current operator of record in the Williston Basin (Bakken). Informational only.