True Oil Files Four Drillback Permit Renewals in McKenzie County

The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) reported four permit renewals in its daily activity report for Thursday, September 3, 2026, all filed by True Oil LLC. According to the DMR report, the Wyoming-based operator is seeking to renew permits for four proposed horizontal wells in the Bowline area of McKenzie County.

The renewed permits are for the Michigan Federal 11-6 6-7 TF1H, Michigan Federal 21-6 6-7 TF2H, Michigan Federal 31-6 6-7 TF3H, and Michigan Federal 41-6 6-7 TF4H wells. All four locations are in Lot 3 of Section 6, Township 147 North, Range 101 West. The DMR filing notes that each is a "proposed drillback outside of spacing unit," indicating a planned wellbore that will extend beyond the boundaries of its originally approved drilling unit.

In addition to the permit renewals, the DMR report listed confidential status changes for three wells operated by other companies. According to the report, Zavanna Energy Operating, LLC reported a change for its Hereford 13-36 4TFH well in the Stockyard Creek area of Williams County (SW SW 13-154N-99W).

XTO Energy Inc reported two confidential status changes in the Grinnell area of Williams County. The affected wells are the GBU Artemis 32X-13C-S and the GBU Artemis 32X-13B-N, both located in the SW NE of Section 13-154N-96W. Confidential status changes can indicate a variety of regulatory steps, such as a change in well status from "active" to "inactive" or updates to the well's compliance status, but the specific nature of the changes was not detailed in the public report.

The day's activity highlights continued administrative work by operators in the core Bakken region. True Oil's cluster of permit renewals in a single section of McKenzie County suggests sustained interest in developing that specific parcel. Meanwhile, the status updates from XTO and Zavanna in neighboring Williams County point to ongoing well management and regulatory compliance efforts.

For Bakken operators, renewing permits is a necessary step to maintain the right to drill a proposed well location, especially for complex proposals like drillbacks that target reserves from outside a standard unit. The DMR's daily activity report provides a snapshot of these routine but essential regulatory filings that underpin future drilling plans in the Williston Basin.