WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
BAKKEN WIRE
Murfin Drilling Secures Three Permits in Stark County as Cancellations Climb - Bakken Wire
Daily Activity

Murfin Drilling Secures Three Permits in Stark County as Cancellations Climb

The North Dakota DMR approved new horizontal wells for a private operator, while Devon Energy advanced two earlier permits and seven others were canceled.

Bakken Wire Staff·☀️Morning Wire·

The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources approved three new drilling permits on Friday, June 26, all filed by Murfin Drilling Company, Inc., according to the daily activity report. The permits, numbered 43072 through 43074, are for the Jilek 1-10H, 2-10H, and 3-10H wells in Stark County's New Hradec field.

Separately, two permits previously filed by major operators were listed as moving forward in the confidential status changes section. Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC's permit #41608 for the BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-4 well in Williams County's Beaver Lodge field was listed, as were Devon Energy Williston, L.L.C.'s permits #41680 and #41681 for the Johnson 27-34 6H and 7H wells in McKenzie County's South Tobacco Garden field. The report lists these as "confidential status changes," indicating progression beyond the initial permit filing stage.

The report also detailed a significant list of permit cancellations, affecting seven previously approved wells. Phoenix Operating LLC canceled a four-well pad, with permits #42616 through #42619 for the Mary 25-36-1-12 series in McKenzie County all being withdrawn. Additionally, Oasis Petroleum North America LLC canceled a three-well pad, with permits #42943, #42944, and #42945 for the Isabella 6093 series in Burke County being withdrawn.

The new permits granted to Murfin Drilling represent the sole fresh approvals noted in Friday's report. The private operator's activity is focused on the New Hradec field in Stark County, an area located in the southeastern portion of the Williston Basin. The naming convention "Jilek" suggests a common surface location for the three horizontal wells.

The confidential status changes for Hess and Devon indicate continued development planning by larger, established Bakken operators in core counties. Hess's activity is in Williams County, while Devon's is in the highly active McKenzie County.

The cancellation of seven permits underscores the dynamic nature of drilling plans. Phoenix Operating's canceled four-well pad was also slated for McKenzie County, while Oasis's three-well cancellations were in Burke County, which lies in the northwestern reaches of the basin.

Source

North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Daily Activity Report for June 26, 2026

dmrdrilling permitsmurfin drillingdevon energyhesspermit cancellationsstark countymckenzie countywilliams countyburke county

Share this article

PostShareShareEmail

Related Articles

Daily Activity

DMR Daily Activity Report Shows No New Filings for Sunday

The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) reported no new activity filings in its daily report for Sunday, September 6, 2026. The report, which was published on Monday, September 7, showed no new permits, spud reports, completion notices, or plugging records. The DMR's daily activity report is a key source of operational data for the Bakken formation, tracking the initiation and progress of oil and gas wells. It typically includes new drilling permits issued by the state, notices that a well has been spud (drilling commenced), reports of well completions, and official records of well plugging. Days with no new filings are a normal occurrence in the reporting cycle, particularly following weekends and holidays when regulatory offices are closed and operator field activity often slows. The lack of filings indicates a pause in the submission of new regulatory paperwork rather than a complete halt to all ongoing drilling and...

☀️Morning Wire·Sep 7
Daily Activity

DMR Daily Activity Report Shows No New Filings for Saturday

The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) daily activity report for Saturday, September 5, 2026, contained no new filings for oil and gas operations. According to the DMR report, there were no new permits approved, wells spudded, completions reported, or wells plugged. The DMR's daily report is a key indicator of near-term drilling and production activity in the Bakken formation. It typically lists new drilling permits issued by the state, notices of when a well has been spudded (drilling commenced), reports of well completions, and notices of well plugging activities. Days with no new activity are a normal occurrence in the reporting cycle, especially on weekends and during holidays when regulatory offices are closed and field operations may slow. The lack of filings for a single day does not indicate a trend but represents a routine pause in administrative reporting. Operators and service companies monitor these daily reports to...

☀️Morning Wire·Sep 6
Daily Activity

Hess, Petro-Hunt Lead Daily Drilling Permits with Seven Renewals

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...

☀️Morning Wire·Sep 5