WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
BAKKEN WIRE
Daily Activity

Six New Permits Approved; Enerplus Leads with Four-Well Pad in Williams County

Formentera Operations secures two confidential permits in Divide County, while Phoenix Operating has confidentiality lifted on four McKenzie County wells.

Bakken Wire Staff·☀️Morning Wire·

The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources approved six new drilling permits in filings dated Wednesday, August 26, 2026, with Enerplus Resources USA Corporation accounting for the majority of the activity, according to the daily activity report.

Enerplus secured four permits for a new pad in Williams County. The permits are for the GIANT PANDA 5700 43-9 2B, 3B, 4B, and 5B wells, all located in SW SE 9- 157N-100W within the Church field. This four-well batch indicates continued development by a major operator in the core of the Bakken formation.

Formentera Operations: LLC was approved for two new permits, both designated as confidential. The permits, #43254 and #43255, are for the TORO CANYON-16-32-DIV S517HF and S619HX wells in Divide County. The confidential status of these permits and their field limits public details on the specific targets.

In other activity, the confidentiality status was lifted on four previously approved permits held by Phoenix Operating LLC in McKenzie County. The affected permits are #42574 through #42577 for the RIDE THE LIGHTNING FED 18-19-30-31 1HF, 2HF, 3HF, and 4HF wells. The wells are located in LOT 1 18- 149N-102W and NE NW 18-149N-102W. This change makes the well information publicly available, a standard procedural step following the initial confidential period.

The day's permits show activity concentrated in three key Bakken counties: Williams, Divide, and McKenzie. Williams and McKenzie counties are longstanding core production areas within the Williston Basin, while Divide County represents a more northwestern extension of the play.

The report highlights a mix of development strategies, from Enerplus's multi-well pad development to Formentera's new, confidential projects. The lifting of confidentiality for Phoenix Operating's permits provides greater transparency for nearby mineral owners and industry observers tracking development in that specific section of McKenzie County.

Source

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

dmrdrilling permitsenerplusformentera operationsphoenix operatingwilliams countydivide countymckenzie countybakken

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