Hess, Petro-Hunt Lead Daily Drilling Permits with Seven Renewals
The North Dakota DMR reported seven permit renewals, primarily for confidential wells outside standard spacing units in Dunn and Mountrail counties.
The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) reported seven drilling permit renewals in its daily activity report for Friday, September 4, 2026. The filings were dominated by Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC and Petro-Hunt, L.L.C., according to the state's regulatory data.
Petro-Hunt, L.L.C. secured renewals for three permits in Dunn County. Two permits, the Charles Tompkins 144-97-31D-30-2H and the Charles Rand 143-97-6A-7-2H, are listed for the Little Knife and Crooked Creek fields, respectively. Both are marked 'CONFIDENTIAL' with a note stating the location is outside of a spacing unit. A third permit, for the Charles Tompkins 144-97-31D-30-1HS, also in the Little Knife field, is similarly confidential and noted as a proposed drillback outside of a spacing unit.
Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC was active in Mountrail County, renewing four permits for the EN-Van Berkom pad in the Sorkness field. The permits, EN-Van Berkom-157-93-2627H-2U, 2627H-3U, 2627H-4, and 2627H-5, are all located in the NE SE of Section 26-157N-93W. The filings indicate continued development on this specific pad.
In additional information from the report, a status change was recorded for a permit held by XTO Energy Inc. The permit for the GBU Artemis 32X-13H-S well, located in the Grinnell field of Williams County, was listed with updated information, according to the DMR filing.
The day's activity highlights ongoing administrative work by operators to maintain permits for future drilling, particularly for wells with confidential status. The concentration of Petro-Hunt's renewals in Dunn County and Hess's renewals in Mountrail County points to sustained interest in these core areas of the Bakken formation. The confidential designation and notes regarding locations outside standard spacing units often relate to specialized well designs or regulatory approvals for unique drilling patterns.
No new drill permits, new producers, or rig releases were reported in the provided data categories for September 4.
Source
North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Daily Activity Report for September 4, 2026.