The Bakken is a mature, oil-weighted horizontal play in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana. Development is steady rather than land-rush: well-capitalized operators — Hess, ConocoPhillips, Chord Energy, Devon, Continental Resources, ExxonMobil (XTO) — each spudded roughly 100–230 wells in the trailing twelve months across the four core counties (McKenzie, Williams, Dunn, Mountrail). For mineral owners that means dependable royalty streams from producing units plus ongoing infill drilling, and consistent buyer demand for Bakken interests.
The Bakken of the Williston Basin was America's first great horizontal oil play, and two decades in it remains one of its most active: the core counties of northwest North Dakota still see hundreds of new wells spudded every year. Because the play is mature, most core acreage is held by production — so Bakken mineral owners typically hold interests under producing units with long payment histories, with new value arriving through infill wells, additional Three Forks benches, and refracs of older wells. ARB buys Bakken mineral rights and royalties outright — producing or non-producing, including inherited and fractional interests.
Bakken wells produce light, high-quality crude from the Middle Bakken — a dolomitic siltstone sandwiched between the organic-rich Upper and Lower Bakken shales that source it — and from the Three Forks formation directly beneath, which adds multiple stackable benches. Targets sit roughly 9,500–11,000 feet deep, and two- and three-mile laterals are now standard, letting operators drain more rock per well than the play's early vintage.
Activity concentrates in four core counties. In the trailing twelve months (as of mid-2026): Hess spudded roughly 230 wells across Williams, Mountrail, and McKenzie; ConocoPhillips about 190 across McKenzie and Dunn; Chord Energy (including the former Enerplus position) well over 200 combined; Devon Energy about 140; Continental Resources about 110; and ExxonMobil (XTO) roughly 65 — with active private operators like Phoenix, Kraken, Koda, and Zavanna filling in Williams and Divide counties. That operator depth keeps development — and competition for Bakken minerals — steady.
Selling your Bakken Shale mineral rights to ARB is straightforward — no brokers, no surprises.
Fill out the form below with your mineral interest details — county, acreage, and whether you're currently receiving royalties. No commitment required.
ARB researches your property using public production data and current market conditions. You receive a no-obligation cash offer — typically within 5 business days.
Accept the offer and ARB handles all title work and paperwork. You receive a lump-sum wire transfer at closing — typically within 4–6 weeks of your initial inquiry.
Fill out the form below and ARB's team will research your property and provide a no-obligation offer, typically within 5 business days.
Yes — steadily. In the trailing twelve months (as of mid-2026), Hess, ConocoPhillips, Chord Energy, Devon, Continental Resources, and ExxonMobil each spudded roughly 65–230 wells in the core counties of McKenzie, Williams, Dunn, and Mountrail, North Dakota. The land-rush era is over, but the Bakken remains one of America's most active oil plays.
The Middle Bakken and the Three Forks. The Middle Bakken is a dolomitic siltstone between the two organic-rich Bakken shales; the Three Forks beneath it adds multiple benches that operators develop as separate targets — meaning acreage that already has a producing well can often support additional wells.
Often, yes. Mature Bakken units frequently carry infill locations, undeveloped Three Forks benches, and refrac candidates — and buyers price that remaining development, not just the current checks. The reliable way to know is a free valuation of your specific tract, wells, and operator.
Yes. American Royalty Buyers purchases Bakken mineral rights, royalties, NPRI, and ORRI across North Dakota and Montana — producing or non-producing, including inherited and fractional interests. ARB is a direct buyer: no brokers, no commissions, no fees, with a written no-obligation offer typically within five business days.
Net mineral acres, whether the acreage is producing and from how many wells, remaining infill and Three Forks inventory, the operator's activity level, and oil prices. Wells operated by the basin's most active drillers — Hess, ConocoPhillips, Chord, Devon, Continental — generally support stronger values because their development pace is dependable.