Honestly, if you go looking for a North Dakota oil fields map online, you’re probably going to find a bunch of static, multicolored blobs that look like a preschooler’s art project. But those blobs represent billions of dollars. And for a lot of people—landowners, investors, or just curious locals—those maps are the closest thing to a treasure chest they’ll ever see.
The reality of the Bakken is way more chaotic than a clean PDF suggests. You’ve got the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) trying to keep up with thousands of active wells, while the geology underneath—the Bakken and Three Forks formations—doesn't always play by the rules. It’s not just one big pool of oil. It’s a complex, layered mess of rock that requires a specific kind of map to understand.
What You’re Actually Looking At
Most folks think a "field" is just a spot on the map where you stick a pipe in the ground. Kinda, but not really. In North Dakota, the map is a grid of "Spacing Units." These are basically legal boxes where an operator has the right to drill. When you look at the official ND Oil & Gas GIS Viewer, you aren't just seeing oil; you're seeing legal boundaries that dictate who gets paid and when.
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The big players like Continental Resources and Hess (now part of Chevron) aren't just throwing darts. They use these maps to find "sweet spots."
The Core vs. The Perimeter
If you look at a map of the Williston Basin, everything centers on a few key counties. This is the "Core."
- McKenzie County: The undisputed king. As of late 2025, it was pumping out over 10 million barrels a month. If McKenzie were its own country, it’d be a global player.
- Mountrail County: This is where the modern boom really kicked off at the Parshall Field.
- Dunn and Williams: These are the reliable workhorses.
But here is the thing: as the core gets crowded, the map is stretching. You’ll see "step-out" wells appearing in places like Divide County or even down toward Slope County. These are riskier. They’re the "frontier" areas on your North Dakota oil fields map where the rock is thinner and the oil is harder to squeeze out.
Why the Map Changes Every Single Hour
One thing that trips people up is that these maps are alive. Well, not literally, but the data is. The North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) updates their GIS servers constantly. A well that was "Permitted" yesterday might be "Spud" (started drilling) today and "Producing" by next month.
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The Layers of the Bakken
When you open a high-end map, you shouldn't just look at the surface. You have to think in 3D.
- The Upper Bakken Shale: The source rock.
- The Middle Bakken: The primary target for most horizontal wells.
- The Three Forks: A separate but related layer sitting right underneath.
Sometimes an operator will drill four wells in the same "box" on the map, but they’re actually stacked on top of each other in different layers. It’s like a giant underground club sandwich, and everyone wants a bite of the middle layer.
The "Confidential" List Scams
Here is a bit of insider info: if you see a bunch of wells on a map labeled "Confidential" or "NC," it doesn't mean they're drilling for aliens. It’s a status that lets companies keep their production data secret for six months.
Some "expert" sites try to sell you access to these lists. Don't fall for it. The data eventually becomes public on the DMR website. If a map looks empty in a high-activity area, it’s probably just because the "Confidential" layer is turned off or the wells are too new to be charted.
How to Actually Use a North Dakota Oil Fields Map
If you're trying to figure out if your Great-Aunt’s 40 acres in Burke County are worth anything, you need to do more than just squint at a JPG.
First, go to the official DMR GIS Map Viewer. It’s free, though it’s a bit clunky and looks like it was designed in 2004. You want to toggle the "Wells" layer and the "Fields" layer.
Look for "Dormant" vs. "Active" wells. A map full of red dots (plugged/abandoned) is a bad sign. You want to see those green circles (producing) or the bright blue ones (permitted).
The Gas Problem
Lately, the map is showing something new: gas constraints. North Dakota is producing so much natural gas alongside the oil that the pipelines can't handle it. In late 2025, gas production hit record highs—nearly 38 billion cubic feet per day. If a map shows a lot of wells but no pipelines nearby, those wells might be "choked back" or restricted. You can have all the oil in the world, but if you can’t move the gas, the state won't let you pump.
The Misconception of "The End"
People have been saying the Bakken is "tapped out" for a decade. The map says otherwise. While the easy oil is gone, companies are now using "re-fracking" and EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) using CO2.
If you look at the current map, you'll see a lot of activity in older fields. They aren't drilling new holes as much as they are "fixing" the old ones to get more out. It’s a shift from exploration to pure manufacturing.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Map
If you need to get serious about North Dakota oil data, stop Googling and start doing:
- Use the NDIC "Director’s Cut": Every month, the state's top mineral official, Nathan Anderson, gives a briefing. He literally walks through the map and explains why production is up or down. It’s the "cheat code" for understanding the industry.
- Check the Rig List: Rigs move. A map showing a rig in one spot is only accurate for about 20 days. Use the "Active Rig List" on the DMR site to see where the real-time action is.
- Identify the Operator: Don't just look at the well; look at who owns it. Continental, Chord Energy, and Grayson Mill are some of the biggest right now. Some operators are better at "completing" wells than others, which affects the value of the land nearby.
- Verify Mineral Rights: Just because there is a well on your map doesn't mean you own the oil. In North Dakota, surface rights and mineral rights are often split. You might own the wheat field but not the "black gold" 10,000 feet below it.
The North Dakota oil landscape is a moving target. It’s a mix of geology, high-stakes law, and heavy machinery. Whether you're tracking royalty checks or just watching the economy, the map is your only real compass in the Williston Basin. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and it’s constantly being rewritten.