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North Dakota · Williston Basin · Bakken Core

Sell Mineral Rights
in Williams County,
North Dakota.

Williams County sits at the heart of the Williston Basin, with the city of Williston serving as the regional hub for Bakken oilfield activity. If you own mineral rights here, you own a piece of one of the most consistently active oil-producing counties in the United States. We are happy to help you understand what you have.

~17%
of ND Oil
recent state production
~10,500ft
Bakken Depth
typical TVD
10,000ft
Standard Lateral
two-mile horizontals
2,500+
Producing Wells
across the county
1,280ac
Standard DSU
2 section spacing
01 The Basin

A Bakken anchor
built around Williston.

The Williston Basin spans parts of North Dakota, Montana, and Saskatchewan, and the most productive parts of it sit in a band of counties along and north of the Missouri River in western North Dakota. Williams County is one of the four core Bakken counties, alongside McKenzie, Mountrail, and Dunn, and is consistently among the top two or three oil-producing counties in the state.

Williston, the county seat, has been the operational headquarters of Bakken activity since the modern boom began in the late 2000s. The city sits near the geographic center of the productive fairway, with rail terminals, water sourcing, sand transload facilities, and the bulk of the basin's service company offices. For mineral owners, this matters because Williston's role as a service hub keeps drilling costs lower and well economics stronger than many other unconventional plays.

Williams County is where the Bakken got organized. The infrastructure, the workforce, and the operators all run through Williston, which keeps activity here steady through commodity cycles.

If you are reading this, you probably own a piece of that. Maybe minerals came through a will, an offer letter showed up in the mail, or you are trying to make sense of a royalty statement that has been arriving for years. This page walks through the rock, who is drilling, where in the county your minerals sit, what shapes value, and how the regulatory side actually works.

Starting point

Have minerals in Williams County? Send us what you have and we will take a look.

Send Us the Details →
02 The Rock

Two formations. One spacing unit.
Stacked pay across the column.

Williams County's productive geology is anchored by two unconventional reservoirs that sit on top of each other: the Middle Bakken and the Three Forks. Modern operators commonly drill multiple wells on a single 1,280-acre spacing unit, targeting both formations and sometimes specific Three Forks benches separately. The same acre of mineral rights can produce royalty income from several wells over time.

Middle Bakkensiltstone and dolomite

The Middle Bakken is the original Bakken target and remains the workhorse formation across Williams County. It sits between the Upper and Lower Bakken shales, which act as the source rock charging the entire petroleum system. Most early horizontal Bakken wells drilled in Williams County targeted this interval, and it continues to be the primary formation for a large share of new wells.

For mineral owners, the Middle Bakken is typically the first formation drilled when a spacing unit is developed. A standard development pattern often includes multiple Middle Bakken wells per 1,280-acre unit, with completion designs that have grown more intensive over the past decade.

Depth Range
9,500 to 11,000 ft
Type
Siltstone and dolomite
Typical Lateral
10,000 ft
Lead Operators
Continental, Chord, Chevron
Three Forksmultiple benches

Below the Bakken sits the Three Forks formation, a separate carbonate-and-shale interval that has emerged as a major target in its own right. The Three Forks contains multiple distinct benches, often referred to as Bench 1 through Bench 4 from top to bottom, with development concentrated in the upper benches across most of Williams County. Some operators drill multiple Three Forks wells per spacing unit, targeting different benches with separate horizontals.

For Williams County mineral owners, the Three Forks is the reason a single spacing unit can support multiple wells over the life of development. Each well is a separate revenue stream tied to the same underlying minerals.

Depth Range
10,000 to 11,500 ft
Type
Carbonate and shale
Active Benches
Bench 1 and Bench 2 primarily
Common Pairing
Stacked with Bakken
Pronghornand basin-edge variations

Along certain parts of Williams County, particularly toward the western and northern edges, operators have evaluated the Pronghorn member of the Bakken and other transitional intervals. These are typically secondary targets compared to the Middle Bakken and Three Forks, but they can add to the inventory of drillable locations on a given spacing unit.

The practical implication for mineral owners is that even mature spacing units in Williams County often have meaningful undeveloped inventory left, particularly as operators experiment with longer laterals and tighter well spacing.

Depth Range
9,500 to 11,000 ft
Type
Transitional siltstone
Status
Secondary target
Where Active
Basin edges
03 The Operators

Who is drilling on your
Williams County minerals.

Williams County's operator landscape consolidated meaningfully through the 2020 to 2024 period. Several public Bakken operators went private or merged, and major positions changed hands. The operators below cover the bulk of current drilling and royalty activity, though a long tail of smaller operators holds pieces of the county.

i.
Continental Resources
Continental is the largest oil producer in North Dakota and has been one of the defining operators of the Bakken since the play opened. Founder Harold Hamm took the company private in late 2022. Williams County is part of Continental's core Bakken footprint, with significant acreage particularly in the central and eastern parts of the county. The company has been one of the more active drillers of long-lateral and 4-mile horizontal pilots in the basin. Mineral owners receiving Continental royalties have less public visibility into development plans since the privatization, but the company remains active and is generally considered a stable operator.
Private · Largest in ND
Top Williams Operator
ii.
Chord Energy
Chord Energy was formed by the 2022 merger of Oasis Petroleum and Whiting Petroleum, and expanded further by acquiring Enerplus in 2024. The combined company is one of the largest pure-play Bakken operators and is consistently a top oil producer in North Dakota. Chord has substantial acreage in Williams County, with development spread across multiple townships. The legacy Oasis position included significant Williams County acreage that Chord continues to develop.
Public · Pure-play Bakken
Major Williams Position
iii.
Chevron (Hess Bakken)
Chevron acquired Hess Corporation in 2024, inheriting Hess's substantial Bakken position in the process. Hess had a long history in Williams County, including legacy operations dating back decades. Hess had built one of the more efficient drilling programs in the basin before the acquisition, and Chevron has indicated continued investment. Mineral owners with Hess-era leases will see them transition to Chevron operation over time.
Major · Hess legacy
Major Legacy Position
iv.
ConocoPhillips (Burlington / Marathon)
ConocoPhillips holds the legacy Burlington Resources Bakken position and added the Marathon Oil position through its 2024 acquisition of Marathon. The combined position is concentrated across several core Bakken counties including Williams. ConocoPhillips reports its Bakken activity at the corporate level rather than as a standalone segment, but is consistently one of the top five producers in the state.
Major · Burlington / Marathon
Top 5 in ND
v.
Private Operators & Long Tail
Williams County has a long tail of smaller operators including ExxonMobil through XTO Energy, Kraken Resources, Petro-Hunt, and various private operators that took over assets from divestitures. Some of these operators are highly active in specific townships even though they hold smaller overall positions. Mineral owners may also encounter older operators of record on legacy wells whose interests have changed hands several times.
Mixed · Multiple operators
Many Smaller Positions
See a familiar name?

We know how these operators develop in Williams County. Happy to give you context on yours.

Ask About Your Operator →
04 The Geography

Not all Williams County
minerals are built the same.

Williams County covers roughly 2,000 square miles in the northwest corner of North Dakota. The Bakken core runs through the central and southern parts of the county, with development thinning toward the northern and western basin edges. Where in the county your minerals sit shapes everything from operator activity to remaining drilling inventory.

Williston Core
T153N-T155N R100W-R102W
The area immediately surrounding Williston is one of the most heavily developed parts of the basin outside of central McKenzie County. Spacing units here have typically seen multiple Middle Bakken and Three Forks wells already drilled, with infill drilling continuing as completion designs have evolved. Royalty income on producing units in this area tends to be steady.
Activity: Highest Development: Mature, infill
Eastern Williams / Mountrail Border
T154N-T158N R94W-R97W
The eastern edge of Williams County runs up against Mountrail County, another core Bakken producer. Activity here remains active, with Continental, Chord, and Hess-era acreage developed across the area. Some of the strongest historical Bakken wells in the basin were drilled in this corridor.
Activity: High Development: Active
Southern Williams / McKenzie Border
T152N-T154N R98W-R103W
The southern part of Williams County transitions toward McKenzie County across the Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea. This corridor includes some of the most productive Bakken acreage in the basin. Newer activity here has emphasized longer laterals and tighter well spacing as operators try to extract more inventory from already-developed spacing units.
Activity: High Development: Mature with infill
Western Williams / Montana Border
T153N-T158N R103W-R104W
The western part of Williams runs to the Montana state line. Wells here are generally less productive than the central core, with rock quality declining toward the basin edge. Activity continues but is more selective, with operators focused on locations where completion design and longer laterals can offset lower per-foot productivity.
Activity: Moderate Development: Selective
Northern Williams
T156N-T161N R96W-R104W
The northern part of the county trends toward the Canadian border and the basin edge. Productivity declines with distance from the geological sweet spot, and inventory of remaining drillable locations is generally thinner. Some sections in this area still see development, but pace is slower and well economics depend more on commodity prices and completion design.
Activity: Lower Development: Selective
Lake Sakakawea / Missouri River Corridor
T152N-T153N Various
The southern shore of Lake Sakakawea cuts along the Williams-McKenzie boundary. Federal water board considerations and USACE jurisdiction can complicate surface use on parts of this acreage, but mineral interests in producing units along the corridor continue to receive royalty income. Lateral wellbores can typically reach minerals beneath the lake from offsetting surface locations.
Activity: Moderate Development: Producing legacy
05 Your Valuation

What your Williams County
mineral rights are worth.

There is no universal formula. Valuation in Williams County is shaped by current production, future drilling inventory, operator quality, lease terms, and commodity prices. Williams's distinguishing feature is the hub effect of Williston, which keeps drilling costs reasonable and keeps operators interested in the county across cycles. What follows are the four scenarios we see most often.

01
Producing Minerals with Active Royalty Income
Valued on cash flow plus remaining inventory
If your Williams County minerals are actively producing and you receive monthly royalty checks, valuation typically starts with the trailing twelve months of royalty income. A buyer applies a multiple based on expected remaining well life, future drilling potential on the spacing unit, and commodity outlook. Williams spacing units often carry solid multiples because development pace has been steady and operators continue to identify new locations on already-producing units.
What shapes the number: well vintage and remaining productive life, how many additional Middle Bakken or Three Forks locations remain undrilled on your spacing unit, your royalty rate, the operator quality, and whether your lease permits cost deductions for transportation and processing.
02
Unleased Minerals in Active Development
Valued on drilling proximity and future potential
Unleased Williams County minerals, particularly in the Williston core or eastern townships, are valued on expected development timing and operator activity within a few miles. Buyers look at recent permits, operator acreage positions, and the trajectory of drilling within a township. Unleased minerals also carry optionality because the buyer can negotiate lease terms directly with the operator.
What shapes the number: nearby permit activity, the operator's recent drilling pace in your township, formation quality beneath your specific section, comparable lease bonuses paid on surrounding tracts, and whether the section is likely to be force pooled.
03
Small Fractional Interests & Inherited Positions
Often overlooked, often worth more than expected
Many Williams County mineral owners hold small fractional interests inherited across multiple generations, often spread across heirs in different states. These positions sometimes get ignored by larger buyers because they are administratively cumbersome. We pay them the same attention as larger interests and we are comfortable doing the title research on fractional chains, including positions held by descendants of original homestead patentees from the early 1900s.
What shapes the number: net mineral acre count, royalty rate if leased, producing status, operator quality, remaining drilling inventory on the spacing unit, and whether other heirs holding the same chain are also ready to move.
04
Leased but Not Yet Producing
Valued on lease terms and proximity to activity
If your minerals are leased but not yet producing, value depends on the lease terms and how close active drilling has moved toward your acreage. Bakken leases typically have three to five year primary terms with extension if held by production. A lease held by a major active driller such as Continental or Chord is worth materially more than one held by a passive leaseholder waiting on conditions.
What shapes the number: your royalty rate, primary term expiration, the specific operator holding the lease, recent drilling activity in adjacent spacing units, and whether your lease has a Pugh clause or similar acreage-protection language.
Your specific situation

We would rather look at real facts than speak in generalities. Send us what you have.

Request an Analysis →
06 The Regulatory Landscape

North Dakota rules,
Bakken realities.

Williams County operates under the standard North Dakota oil and gas regime, administered primarily by the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The on-the-ground realities reflect Williams's mix of private land, federal land, and the practical effects of the Bakken having been actively drilled for nearly two decades.

The NDIC and how forced pooling works

The North Dakota Industrial Commission, through its Department of Mineral Resources Oil and Gas Division, regulates oil and gas activity on state and private minerals in Williams County. The NDIC permits wells, sets spacing, conducts public hearings on pooling and unitization applications, and maintains the public well database. North Dakota allows compulsory pooling of unleased minerals into spacing units when an operator establishes that pooling is in the public interest, which is the standard framework in Williams County.

Standard 1,280 acre DSU pattern

Modern Bakken development in Williams County typically uses 1,280-acre drilling and spacing units, which is two adjacent sections combined. This matches the design of two-mile horizontal laterals and is the most common unit pattern across the basin. A subset of newer permits, particularly the longer lateral pilots, have used larger or non-standard unit configurations.

The BLM and federal minerals

Williams County has federal mineral acreage administered by the BLM Williston Field Office, which is headquartered in Williston itself. Federal minerals are leased through quarterly BLM auctions, and royalty rates and bonus terms differ from state or private minerals. If you hold federal minerals, the leasing process and royalty payment framework run through ONRR and the BLM rather than the operator directly.

State trust lands and the Department of Trust Lands

The North Dakota Department of Trust Lands manages state-owned mineral interests, primarily through quarterly lease auctions. Some Williams County sections include state trust mineral acreage, which is leased on standard state forms and managed separately from private minerals. State trust royalties flow into North Dakota's Common Schools Trust Fund.

07 Questions We Hear Often

The real questions
mineral owners ask.

We have been through these conversations hundreds of times. Below are honest answers to the things people actually want to know.

01
How much are mineral rights worth in Williams County, North Dakota?
Williams County values vary section by section. Minerals near Williston and the central productive fairway typically carry stronger valuations than acreage on the western or northern edges of the county. Valuation depends on whether minerals are leased or producing, who the operator is, and how much remaining drilling inventory exists on your spacing unit. The only way to know what your specific minerals are worth is to look at the actual facts. We are happy to do that for you, at no cost and with no obligation to sell.
02
Is Williams County still being actively drilled?
Yes. Williams County remains one of the more active counties in the Bakken, second only to McKenzie in most years. Continental Resources, Chord Energy, and several other operators run consistent drilling programs across the county. Activity has shifted toward longer laterals and tighter well spacing as operators try to extract more from already-developed spacing units, but new permits continue to be filed regularly.
03
I inherited mineral rights in Williams County but I do not have any documents. What do I do?
Start by gathering anything you do have: old letters from operators, tax statements, probate records, royalty stubs, division orders. The Williams County Recorder's office in Williston keeps deed records, and the NDIC maintains a public database of wells, operators, and production by section. We can usually identify what someone owns with just a name and a rough idea of where the minerals are located, because North Dakota mineral records are publicly accessible and reasonably well-organized when you know where to look.
04
Should I sell my Williams County mineral rights now or hold them?
That depends on your situation. People who hold typically want long-term royalty income, do not need cash for other priorities, and are comfortable with commodity price volatility. People who sell typically want to convert future uncertain income into certain present value, simplify their estate, or use the capital for something else. Neither is wrong. The Bakken is a mature play with predictable behavior, which makes both holding and selling defensible strategies depending on your goals.
05
What is the difference between an offer to lease and an offer to buy my minerals?
Leasing gives an operator the right to develop your minerals for a period of time, typically three to five years, with extension if production is established. In exchange you receive a bonus payment per net mineral acre and a royalty percentage on any production. You still own the minerals. Buying transfers ownership entirely, in exchange for a lump sum. After a sale, you no longer own the minerals and you receive no future royalties. Both have their place. Buying typically delivers more value up front, leasing preserves long-term upside.
06
I just received a pooling notice from the NDIC. What does that mean?
A pooling notice is a strong signal that an operator is preparing to drill on a spacing unit that includes your minerals. North Dakota allows compulsory pooling, so the operator can typically move forward whether or not you sign a voluntary lease. Your options are roughly three: negotiate a voluntary lease with the operator before the hearing (usually preferable), participate as a working interest owner (rarely the right move for passive owners because you take on a share of well costs), or accept the default terms of the pooling order. Most owners benefit from the negotiation path.
07
What is the difference between Williams County and McKenzie County for mineral owners?
Both are core Bakken counties, but McKenzie produces more oil overall and is generally considered the geological sweet spot. Williams County is a strong second, with very active drilling near Williston and across the central part of the county. The northern and western parts of Williams County are at the basin edge, where rock quality declines and remaining inventory is thinner. A given mineral interest in central Williams County can be quite comparable in value to nearby McKenzie acreage.
08
Can I sell mineral rights I inherited if other family members inherited the same minerals?
Yes, you can sell your undivided fractional interest without needing the other heirs to participate. This is extremely common in Williams County, where many interests have been subdivided across generations of heirs, often spread across multiple states. A good buyer will work with your specific interest, not require you to round up cousins. We do this all the time.
09
How does the sale process actually work?
Step one, we do the research. You send us what you have, we pull NDIC and BLM records, we check operator activity in the spacing unit, and we build an analysis. Step two, we send you a written summary with our reasoning. Step three, if you want to proceed, we handle the mineral deed preparation, you sign at a notary, and funds are wired at close. We move on your timeline, whether that is quick or deliberate. There is no charge for the research and no obligation to sell.
10
Why should I sell to Timberline Minerals specifically?
We are a family-owned office with roots in Texas and Montana. We work across the primary US basins but we spend most of our time in the Powder River Basin, the DJ Basin, and the Williston Basin. That means we know Williams County geology, the operators working here, and the way the NDIC handles things. We work with mineral interests of all sizes. Our process is straightforward: we research the tract, share what we find, and make an offer. The decision to sell is yours, and we are happy to help you understand what you have either way.

Find out what your
Williams County minerals
are actually worth.

Send us what you have, or what you think you have. We will pull NDIC and BLM records, check operator activity in your section, and put together a plain-English summary with our reasoning laid out. If it makes sense to go further, we move on your timeline. If not, you have a free breakdown you can take anywhere.

Request a Valuation (512) 626-7267
Free · No Obligation · Your Timeline
08 Keep Reading

More for Williams County
mineral owners.

Guide · 6 min read
I inherited mineral rights. What now?
A walkthrough of the first few things to look at, whether you just found out or have been sitting on it for years.
Read the guide  →
Guide · 6 min read
What is a pooling order?
If you received a pooling notice, here is what it actually means, what your options are, and how owners typically respond.
Read the guide  →
Guide · 8 min read
How mineral rights are valued
The core inputs that go into a mineral valuation. Production, inventory, operator, lease terms, and what each one actually means in practice.
Read the guide  →
Market Pulse

Bakken status, April 2026

The Bakken produced approximately 1.18 million barrels per day of crude oil in March 2026, the most recent month with confirmed data, roughly flat against February and modestly below year-ago levels. Per-rig productivity continues to improve even as the active rig count has trended lower over the past twelve months. For McKenzie, Dunn, and Mountrail mineral owners, the practical takeaway is sustained operator focus on infill drilling within the most productive Three Forks and Middle Bakken intervals rather than aggressive expansion onto the play margins.

12 month oil production trend
1,180
thousand barrels per day
Latest month
+5(+0.4%)
thousand barrels per day
Month over month
-10(-0.8%)
thousand barrels per day
Year over year
Last updated April 2026. Source: US Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (April 2026).