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BAKKEN WIRE
XTO Energy Secures 10 New Permits for Dunn County Development - Bakken Wire
Daily Activity

XTO Energy Secures 10 New Permits for Dunn County Development

The ExxonMobil subsidiary targets three confidential fields in a major Monday filing, while several other operators update existing wells.

Bakken Wire Staff·☀️Morning Wire·

XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, was the sole operator to secure new drilling permits from the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources on Monday, April 27, according to the daily activity report. The regulator approved 10 permits, all for wells in Dunn County.

The permits are for development within three specific units. Five wells are permitted for the Harrier Federal pad in Section 15-148N-97W, and five are permitted for the Nautilus Federal and Predator Federal pads in Section 19-148N-96W. All ten permits are for wells in fields listed as 'CONFIDENTIAL' by the state.

Monday's permitting activity highlights continued operator focus on the core areas of the Bakken. Dunn County is a central part of the Williston Basin's oil-producing region.

Beyond new permits, the DMR report listed numerous filings for confidential status changes and well name updates for existing locations. Hess Bakken Investments II and Hunt Oil Company filed updates for wells in Mountrail County, according to the report. Enerplus Resources USA Corporation updated two wells in Dunn County's Little Knife field.

In Williams County, XTO Energy also updated four existing wells on the GBU Hera pad in the Grinnell field. Devon Energy and Burlington Resources filed updates for wells in McKenzie County, and Prima Exploration Inc. updated two wells in Divide County's Smoky Butte field.

The report also listed three new permits for saltwater disposal (SWD) wells. Tobacco Garden SWD LLC and Harvest Midstream Services-ND, LLC received SWD permits in McKenzie County. Phoenix Operating, LLC received a permit for an SWD well in Divide County.

The concentration of XTO's new permits in Dunn County underscores the area's ongoing development potential for major operators. The use of 'CONFIDENTIAL' field status is a common regulatory practice for early-stage development projects in North Dakota.

Source

North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Daily Activity Report for April 27, 2026.

dmrdrilling permitsxto energyexxonmobildunn countybakkenwilliston basinswd

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