Burlington Resources Secures Four New Drilling Permits in Dunn County

The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources approved four new drilling permits on Friday, July 31, 2026, with all activity concentrated in Dunn County. According to the DMR's daily activity report, Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP was the sole operator filing for permits.

All four permits are for wells located in the same legal subsection: NE NW of Section 11, Township 145 North, Range 96 West, in Dunn County. The wells are designated for the 'CONFIDENTIAL' field. The approved permits are #43176 for the HAWKEYE 1C, #43177 for the HAWKEYE 2A, #43178 for the HAWKEYE 2B, and #43179 for the HAWKEYE 2C.

This single-batch filing by Burlington Resources, a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, represents a focused development plan for a specific land parcel. Permitting four wells in one section is a common strategy for multi-well pads, which allow for efficient resource extraction by drilling several horizontal laterals from a single surface location.

The designation of the target as a 'CONFIDENTIAL' field is a standard regulatory option in North Dakota. It allows operators to temporarily withhold specific geologic data, such as the target formation, from public disclosure for a period to protect proprietary information. The Bakken and Three Forks formations are the primary producing horizons in this region of the Williston Basin.

Dunn County is a core area of the Bakken play, consistently ranking among the top oil-producing counties in North Dakota. New permitting activity here is closely watched as an indicator of ongoing operator commitment to the basin's most productive acreage. The lack of permits for other operators in Friday's report highlights the variable day-to-day nature of regulatory filings.

The approval of these permits is the first step before drilling can commence. Burlington Resources will now be able to schedule a drilling rig and begin operations on the HAWKEYE wells, pending final location surveys and other pre-spud requirements. The activity underscores continued, targeted investment in North Dakota's premier oil-producing region.