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Wyoming · Powder River Basin · Western Edge

Sell Mineral Rights
in Johnson County,
Wyoming.

Johnson County sits on the western edge of the Powder River Basin, in the country between the Bighorn Mountains and the basin's modern oil trend. It is less developed than Converse or Campbell, but operators are testing the Niobrara here right now, and proven reserves are real. If you own mineral rights here, we are happy to help you understand what you have.

~4,200sq mi
County Area
large geographic spread
~9,500ft
Niobrara Depth
at active drill sites
10,000ft
Standard Lateral
2-mile horizontal
8/13
WY Rigs in PRB
2025 PAW data
640ac
Base DSU
often pooled larger
01 The Basin

The western frontier of
the Powder River Basin.

Most of the modern Powder River Basin oil story has been written in Converse and Campbell counties, in the basin's central trend where the rock dips deepest. Johnson County is a different chapter. It sits along the western edge, where the basin shallows toward the Bighorn Mountain front and the geology becomes more structurally complex.

That structural complexity is part of what kept Johnson County out of the early modern oil boom. While operators in Converse were drilling out 1,600-plus premium locations, Johnson County saw far less horizontal activity. But the same source rocks are present, and operators have been steadily working out where the Niobrara, Mowry, and Frontier zones produce on the western margin. Three Crown Petroleum, a private operator headquartered in Wyoming, is currently drilling a two-mile Niobrara horizontal in Johnson County and has identified additional prospects in both Johnson and the surrounding counties.

The framing that matters for mineral owners: Johnson County is less mature, which means there is less existing data, fewer existing wells, and more uncertainty than a Converse County analysis. It also means valuations track future potential more than current cash flow, which has its own implications for how a sale or hold decision should get made.

Johnson County is a good place to drill for oil and gas, because there's a lot of proven reserves in Johnson County, says Howard Cooper of Three Crown Petroleum.

If you own minerals in Johnson County, the right starting point is to understand which part of the county you are in, what the rock looks like beneath you, and what activity has happened or is being planned nearby. We walk through all of it below.

Starting point

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

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02 The Rock

Same source rocks, different
structural setting.

Johnson County contains the same Cretaceous oil source formations that have made the rest of the Powder River Basin productive, but the rock sits at different depths and behaves differently along the basin's western margin. Operators here are still working out which zones produce where, and the active formation focus tends to shift more often than in the basin's mature core. Below are the three zones currently driving the most activity.

Niobraracalcareous shale

The Niobrara is currently the most active horizontal target in Johnson County, with operators including Three Crown Petroleum drilling two-mile laterals on prospects along the basin's western edge. Niobrara depth varies more in Johnson than in the basin's center, ranging from roughly 8,500 to 10,500 feet depending on structural position.

For mineral owners, the practical implication is that two adjacent sections in Johnson County can have substantially different Niobrara prospects depending on subtle changes in burial depth and structure. This is different from Converse County, where the Niobrara is fairly consistent across most of the productive trend.

Depth Range
8,500 to 10,500 ft
Type
Calcareous shale
Status
Active testing
Lead Operators
Three Crown, Anschutz
Frontiertight sandstone

The Frontier Formation, which includes the Wall Creek (Turner) member, was identified by the Wyoming State Geological Survey as one of the basin's five most productive reservoirs in 2024. In Johnson County, the Frontier sits below the Niobrara and presents a deeper conventional and tight sandstone target that has been intermittently developed for decades.

The Wall Creek member is in fact named for outcrops near Kaycee in southern Johnson County, where the formation is exposed at the surface. Operators historically found Frontier production through structural traps along the basin margin, and modern horizontal drilling is now retesting these zones with stacked-pay completion designs.

Depth Range
8,000 to 10,000 ft
Type
Tight sandstone
Status
Mixed legacy & new
Type Locality
Kaycee outcrop
Shannonshoreface sandstone

The Shannon Sandstone is part of the wider family of Cretaceous shoreface sandstones in the basin, and Three Crown Petroleum lists it alongside the Niobrara and Frontier as a current Powder River Basin focus area. The Shannon sits at variable depth across Johnson County and has historically produced from shallower conventional wells in the south part of the county.

Shannon production tends to be more localized than the broader Niobrara play. For a Johnson County mineral owner, the Shannon is most relevant if you sit near the Salt Creek field area on the southern county line or in specific structural trends that operators have identified.

Depth Range
Variable, 6,000 to 9,000 ft
Type
Shoreface sandstone
Status
Targeted re-entry
Activity
Selective
03 The Operators

Who is drilling on your
Johnson County minerals.

Johnson County's operator landscape is more weighted toward private independents than Converse or Campbell. Several public operators hold acreage that extends from the basin's central trend, but the active drilling on the western margin has come disproportionately from smaller private companies. If you receive royalty checks from Johnson County, they may come from any of these operators or from legacy holders of older conventional wells.

i.
Three Crown Petroleum
Three Crown is a private operator founded in 2005 by Howard Cooper. The company is currently drilling a two-mile horizontal Niobrara well at its Crossbill prospect in Johnson County (1,268 gross/net acres) and holds the larger Macaw prospect spanning Johnson and Campbell counties (3,117 gross acres, 489 net). Three Crown's stated focus is the Shannon, Niobrara, and Frontier plays in the Powder River Basin, and the company has a track record of partnering with larger producers on development. As a private operator, Three Crown's quarterly visibility is limited compared to public companies.
Private · Active driller
Active Niobrara Well
ii.
Anschutz Exploration
Anschutz holds positions that extend from the Converse County core into Johnson, particularly along the southern county line. The company is the most active Niobrara developer in the basin overall and has been working the western margin selectively for several years. Anschutz acreage in Johnson is generally less mature than its core Converse position, with development pace tied to broader basin economics.
Private · Cross-county
Edge Acreage
iii.
Sage Butte Energy
Sage Butte's primary 146,000 acre contiguous position is centered in north-central Converse, but the company's holdings extend into both Campbell and Johnson counties. Sage Butte has eight developed benches across its core acreage, including the Niobrara, Frontier, and Shannon, all of which are relevant zones for Johnson County. As a private operator focused on returns and selective development, Sage Butte is less likely to drill a Johnson County section quickly unless economics clearly support it.
Private · Multi-county
~146K Total Acres
iv.
OneRock Energy
OneRock Energy expanded its Powder River Basin footprint in August 2023 with the acquisition of approximately 160,000 net acres focused mainly in Converse, Campbell, and Johnson counties. OneRock is a private operator and its development pace is tied to broader portfolio decisions. For Johnson County mineral owners, OneRock acreage holdings are an important data point when evaluating future development potential, even if the operator has not drilled on your specific section yet.
Private · Acquisition position
~160K PRB Acres
v.
EOG Resources & Legacy Conventional
EOG Resources holds acreage across the broader Powder River Basin including some Johnson County positions, but its activity is concentrated in Converse and southern Campbell. Beyond modern unconventional operators, Johnson County hosts a long tail of legacy conventional production from the Tisdale Anticline, Salt Creek field extension, and other historic structural traps. Many of these wells are operated by smaller companies that have held the leases for decades.
Mixed legacy
Long tail of Operators
See a familiar name?

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

Ask About Your Operator →
04 The Geography

Not all Johnson County
minerals are built the same.

Johnson County is geographically diverse. The western half climbs toward the Bighorn Mountains and is largely conventional or undeveloped. The eastern half slopes toward the Powder River Basin's central trend and hosts the modern horizontal activity. Where your minerals sit within that gradient shapes everything that comes next.

Eastern Johnson
T48N-T54N
R76W-R79W
The eastern reach of the county that grades into the productive PRB trend. This is where the Niobrara, Mowry, and Frontier zones are at workable depths and where most of the modern horizontal activity is happening. Three Crown's Crossbill prospect and other current drilling activity sit in this area.
Activity: Active testing Development: Emerging
Buffalo Area
T50N-T52N
R81W-R83W
Centered on Buffalo, the county seat and the historical service hub for the western basin. Also home to the BLM Buffalo Field Office, which administers federal minerals across most of the PRB. Modern horizontal activity in the immediate Buffalo area is light, but the area is important for federal lease procedures across the broader region.
Activity: Light Development: Federal hub
Tisdale & Salt Creek Edge
T44N-T48N
R77W-R81W
The southern reach of Johnson County extends toward the Tisdale Anticline and the northern edge of the historic Salt Creek field. This area has produced conventional oil from older structural traps for over a century. Modern horizontal redevelopment is selective but exists, particularly where stacked pay zones have been identified by recent operator work.
Activity: Mixed legacy Development: Selective
Kaycee Area
T42N-T46N
R81W-R83W
The southern part of the county, near the small town of Kaycee where the Wall Creek member of the Frontier Formation is exposed at outcrop. Mineral ownership here often dates to original homestead and railroad land grants. Some legacy production exists, but modern horizontal activity is limited by structural complexity along the basin margin.
Activity: Light Development: Legacy
Western Johnson / Bighorn Front
T46N-T54N
R83W-R85W
The western edge of the county where the basin meets the Bighorn Mountains. The Cretaceous oil-bearing formations are uplifted and exposed or absent here, and modern horizontal oil development is generally not viable. Mineral ownership in this area has primarily ranching and agricultural value, though small conventional production exists in specific structural positions.
Activity: None to minimal Development: Off-trend
Northern Johnson
T54N-T56N
R76W-R83W
The northern reach of the county trends toward Sheridan County and the basin's northern shallowing edge. Some legacy CBM production extends into this area, and conventional oil potential exists in specific reservoirs, but modern horizontal development is rare. Mineral values here are typically lower than in eastern Johnson.
Activity: Light Development: Conventional
05 Your Valuation

What your Johnson County
mineral rights are worth.

There is no universal formula. Valuation in Johnson County is more variable than in the basin's mature core because the development is less uniform, fewer wells exist as comparables, and structural complexity along the western margin makes section-level outcomes harder to predict. What follows are the four scenarios we see most often for Johnson County mineral owners, with the factors that shape value in each.

01
Producing Minerals with Active Royalty Income
Valued on a cash flow multiple
If your Johnson County minerals are actively producing and you are receiving monthly royalty checks, valuation typically starts with the trailing twelve months of royalty income. A buyer applies a multiple based on expected remaining reserves, well decline curves, and commodity price outlook. Conventional legacy wells in Johnson County often have long but slow decline profiles, which affects how multiples get applied. Modern horizontal wells are rarer but command stronger multiples when present.
What shapes the number: well vintage and remaining productive life, well type (conventional vertical versus modern horizontal), which formations are currently producing beneath your acreage, your royalty rate, commodity price outlook, and remaining drilling potential in the spacing unit.
02
Unleased Minerals in Active Testing Areas
Valued on speculative future potential
Unleased minerals in eastern Johnson County, particularly near current drilling activity like Three Crown's Crossbill prospect, can carry meaningful speculative value. Because the modern oil play is still being delineated, valuation here typically reflects a probability-weighted view of future development rather than near-term certainty. Buyer pricing varies more between buyers in Johnson County than in mature counties, which means getting multiple offers tends to be more important here.
What shapes the number: proximity to active drilling, operator acreage position in your section, geological position relative to known producing structure, comparable lease bonuses paid on surrounding tracts, and how much each individual buyer believes in the western-margin Niobrara play.
03
Small Fractional & Inherited Positions
Often overlooked, often worth more than expected
Many Johnson County mineral owners hold small fractional interests inherited across generations, often dating to original homestead grants from the late 1800s. These positions get ignored by larger buyers because they are too much work for the ticket size. We pay them the same attention as larger interests and we are comfortable doing the title research on fractional chains that cross multiple heirs and span generations.
What shapes the number: net mineral acre count, royalty rate if leased, producing status of the underlying wells, geological position of the section, and whether other heirs holding the same chain are also ready to move. Even small interests in Johnson County can be worth meaningful sums if the section sits near current drilling activity.
04
Off-Trend or Structurally Inactive Minerals
Valued on optionality, not certainty
Minerals in western Johnson County or in structurally complex zones where the deep oil-bearing formations are uplifted, eroded, or otherwise disrupted have lower expected near-term value. That does not mean zero value, because conventional production from shallower zones may still exist or may emerge with future technology, but the analysis is much different than for eastern Johnson minerals. We are honest about this with mineral owners. Some interests are worth less than the owner hopes, and that information is itself useful.
What shapes the number: structural setting and depth of relevant reservoirs, distance from active drilling trends, presence of any historical production, surface use patterns, and whether the minerals have other potential value (water, surface lease income, hunting access).
Your specific situation

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

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06 The Regulatory Landscape

Where the BLM lives.

Johnson County's regulatory landscape is shaped by the same WOGCC framework that governs all Wyoming oil and gas, plus an unusually large federal presence centered on the BLM Buffalo Field Office, which is physically located in the county and administers federal mineral leasing across most of the Powder River Basin.

WOGCC and Wyoming pooling

The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, established in 1951, is the primary regulator for oil and gas in the state. It administers well permitting, pooling, spacing, and production reporting. The WOGCC holds public hearings on the second Tuesday of each month in Casper. Wyoming allows forced pooling with a lower consent threshold than Colorado, which means an operator can move forward with development on a spacing unit that includes your unleased minerals more quickly than in some neighboring states.

For Johnson County mineral owners, pooling is currently less frequent than in Converse or Campbell because the development pace is slower. When pooling does happen, the procedures are the same as elsewhere in Wyoming.

The BLM Buffalo Field Office

The BLM Buffalo Field Office is headquartered in Johnson County and is responsible for managing federal lands and federal mineral leases across most of the Powder River Basin, including portions of Converse, Campbell, Johnson, Sheridan, and Natrona counties. If your minerals are federal or your spacing unit includes federal acreage, much of the relevant administrative process flows through this office.

The Buffalo Field Office's resource management plan governs how federal oil and gas, coal, and other minerals are leased and developed in the basin. The plan has been through several revisions in recent years and is currently being amended again following the 2025 administration change to reopen the basin to federal coal leasing.

Conventional production & legacy leases

Johnson County has more legacy conventional production than the modern unconventional core counties, which means more older leases are still held by production from decades-old wells. If you own minerals on a tract with a 1970s or 1980s lease that is currently held by a slowly declining well, the lease may not expire for many years. This affects what an operator interested in modern horizontal development can offer you, and it affects how a sale process gets structured. We see this regularly.

07 Questions We Hear Often

The real questions
mineral owners ask.

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

01
How much are mineral rights worth in Johnson County, Wyoming?
It depends heavily on where in the county you own and what stage of development is happening near you. Eastern Johnson County minerals near current Niobrara drilling activity can have meaningful value. Western Johnson County minerals along the Bighorn front are generally less valuable for oil and gas purposes. Two interests a few miles apart can have significantly different values. The only way to know what your specific minerals are worth is to look at the actual facts: your legal description, your lease status, what operators are doing nearby, and what has been drilled or permitted. We are happy to do that for you, at no cost and with no obligation to sell.
02
My family has held minerals in Johnson County since the 1900s. Are they still worth anything?
Often yes. Long-held family mineral interests in Johnson County are common, often dating to original homestead grants. The fact that the minerals have been quiet for decades does not mean they are worthless, particularly if the section sits near current drilling activity or in an area operators are now testing. The first step is figuring out exactly what you own (the precise legal description, the fractional interest, and any active leases) and then seeing what activity has happened nearby. We do this research as a routine part of evaluating any tract.
03
I inherited minerals in Johnson County but I do not have any documents. What do I do?
You are not alone. Start by gathering anything you do have: old letters from operators, tax statements, probate records, division orders, royalty stubs. The Johnson County Clerk's office in Buffalo keeps recorded deed records, and the WOGCC database has well and operator records that are publicly searchable. Federal mineral lease records are kept by the BLM Buffalo Field Office, also located in Buffalo. We can usually identify what someone owns with just a name and a rough idea of where the minerals are located.
04
My minerals have not produced in years. Is the lease still good?
If production has stopped completely, the lease has probably terminated. Wyoming oil and gas leases typically remain in effect only while production is being maintained, and most leases have continuous-operations clauses that allow termination after a defined period without production. If your minerals are now unleased after decades of legacy production, that can actually be the higher-value position because a future operator interested in modern horizontal development will need to negotiate a new lease with you, often on better terms than the original.
05
I just received a pooling notice from the WOGCC. 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. Pooling notices are less frequent in Johnson County than in Converse or Campbell, so receiving one is a meaningful event. Your options are roughly three: negotiate a voluntary lease before the hearing (usually preferable), participate as a working interest owner (rarely the right move for passive owners), or accept the default terms of the pooling order. We are happy to help you understand the order and your options without charge.
06
My minerals are on federal land. Does that change anything?
Yes, somewhat. Federal minerals are leased on a quarterly schedule by the BLM Buffalo Field Office, and the lease terms are standardized rather than negotiated. Royalty rates on federal leases are typically 12.5 percent (for older leases) or 16.67 percent (for newer leases under the Inflation Reduction Act). Federal pooling and unitization follow somewhat different procedures than state procedures. None of this prevents you from selling federal minerals, but the analysis is different. Johnson County has substantial federal mineral overlap, so this comes up often here.
07
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 Johnson County, where many interests have been subdivided across three or four generations of heirs 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.
08
Should I wait for the western PRB Niobrara play to develop further before selling?
That depends on your situation and your tolerance for uncertainty. The western edge of the basin is being tested actively right now, but the play is not yet proven the way the Converse County core is. Holding gives you exposure to the upside if development accelerates and proven inventory expands. Selling locks in current value and removes the risk that the western margin underperforms. Neither is wrong. We can help you think through the tradeoffs in light of your other circumstances without pressure to pick a side.
09
Do I need a lawyer to sell mineral rights in Johnson County?
You do not need one, but you are welcome to involve one. Mineral deed conveyances are relatively standard documents in Wyoming and reputable buyers use clear, arms-length language. Johnson County's mix of federal and state minerals, long-held family interests, and complex split estate situations means legal review can be more often worthwhile here than in cleaner ownership counties. We are happy to work with your attorney if you have one, and we do not pressure anyone to skip legal review.
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 and the DJ Basin, which means we know Johnson County geology, the operators working here, and how the WOGCC and BLM Buffalo Field Office handle things. We work with mineral interests of all sizes. You should always get multiple offers and we encourage it, particularly in Johnson County where pricing varies more between buyers than it does in mature counties. If our offer is not the best one you receive, that is useful information for you. Either way, we are happy to help you understand what you have.

Find out what your
Johnson County minerals
are actually worth.

Send us what you have, or what you think you have. We will pull WOGCC and BLM records, check operator activity in your section, and put together a plain-English summary with our reasoning laid out. Johnson County analysis often takes more research than mature counties, but we do not charge for that. 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 Johnson County
mineral owners.

Guide · 7 min read
Wyoming WOGCC: what mineral owners should know
What the WOGCC does, how Wyoming pooling works, and where to look up activity in your section.
Read the guide  →
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 from the WOGCC, here is what it actually means, what your options are, and how owners typically respond.
Read the guide  →
Market Pulse

Powder River status, April 2026

Wyoming oil production averaged approximately 285 thousand barrels per day in early 2026, of which the Powder River Basin contributes roughly two thirds, primarily through Converse, Campbell, and the southwestern part of Johnson County. PRB activity in 2025 trended modestly higher year-over-year as operators continued horizontal development in the Niobrara, Mowry, and shallower Frontier and Sussex intervals. For Converse, Campbell, and Johnson County mineral owners, the practical takeaway is sustained drilling focus on the core fairway with selective step-outs.

12 month oil production trend
195
thousand barrels per day
Latest month
+3(+1.6%)
thousand barrels per day
Month over month
+7(+3.7%)
thousand barrels per day
Year over year
Last updated April 2026. Source: US Energy Information Administration, EIA-914 monthly petroleum production.