Phoenix Operating Permits Four-Well Pad in Divide County

The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources approved four new drilling permits on Tuesday, all for a single operator in the northwestern reaches of the state. Phoenix Operating LLC received permits for a four-well pad in Divide County, according to the daily activity report.

The permits, numbered 43325 through 43328, are for the MAVERICK 31-6-7-18 1H through 4H wells. All four locations are at NW NE 31-162N-102W within the Daneville field. This batch of permits represents the sole new approval for Tuesday, September 22, 2026, signaling focused activity by Phoenix Operating in that area.

In other activity, the DMR reported status changes for several previously confidential wells. Three EOG Resources, Inc. wells in Mountrail County were released from confidential status. The wells are BURKE 415-3411H, BURKE 418-3421H, and BURKE 413-3421H. All are located at SE NE 34-155N-90W.

The release from confidential status typically follows the initial production reporting phase, allowing well performance data to become public. This move by EOG provides a clearer view of its development activity in the Mountrail County area.

Additionally, a Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP well was released from confidential status. The well is HBU HAZEL 5N MBH, located at SW SW 13-148N-98W in McKenzie County's Haystack Butte field.

Tuesday's filings show a concentration of activity from larger operators in the core Bakken counties. While new permitting was limited to Phoenix Operating's Divide County project, the release of confidential data from EOG and Burlington Resources in Mountrail and McKenzie counties indicates ongoing development and evaluation work by major players.

The four new permits for Phoenix Operating continue a pattern of pad development, where multiple horizontal wells are drilled from a single location to efficiently drain a section. Divide County, while not as active as the central core, remains a part of the Williston Basin's producing landscape.