Sell Your Mineral Rights in Williams County, ND
Williams County is the core of North Dakota's oil country — Williston sits right here, and so does some of the most consistently drilled Bakken acreage in the entire basin. If you own mineral rights here, you're not sitting on a maybe — you're sitting on proven, producing ground that operators are still actively developing in 2024.
Est. per Acre
$2,500–$8,000
per net royalty acre
Active Wells
4,200+
Drilling Activity
Core Basin
Williston Basin
Primary Formation
Primary Resource
Oil
Commodity Type
What's Actually Happening With Mineral Rights in Williams County
Williams County isn't just part of the Bakken — it's where the Bakken story really began, and it's still one of the most actively drilled counties in North Dakota today. Williston, the county seat, is surrounded by infrastructure that most Bakken counties still don't have: pipelines, water disposal networks, gas capture systems, and decades of well data that operators have used to refine exactly where and how deep to drill. Active rigs are still turning here, and operators like Hess and Continental have long-term development plans that aren't going away anytime soon. Before you respond to any offer or make any decisions, it's worth understanding what your specific acreage is worth — because location within the county matters more than most people realize.
Williams County By the Numbers
4,200+
wells
Estimated Active Wells
$2,500 – $8,000
per acre (estimate)
Estimated Value Per Acre (producing)
9,500 – 11,000
feet
Primary Bakken Formation Depth
Oil
Primary Commodity
Williston
largest oil hub in ND
County Seat
Who's Operating in Williams County
Continental Resources
CLRHess Corporation
HESChord Energy
CHRDConocoPhillips
COPBurlington Resources Oil & Gas (ConocoPhillips subsidiary)
COPXTO Energy (ExxonMobil subsidiary)
XOMWhat's in the Ground
Bakken
The Middle Bakken member is the main target in Williams County, sitting roughly 9,500 to 11,000 feet down. It's a tight oil formation — meaning it requires horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to produce — but operators have drilled it thousands of times here and understand it well. This is where most of the value in Williams County mineral rights comes from.
Three Forks
The Three Forks sits just below the Bakken and has become a legitimate secondary target throughout Williams County. Operators have increasingly stacked Bakken and Three Forks wells in the same spacing units, which can meaningfully increase the total value of a mineral position — especially in units with active development.
Madison
The Madison is a deeper carbonate formation that has produced oil in parts of Williams County for decades — long before horizontal drilling arrived. It's not the primary focus of modern development, but it does produce in certain areas and can add modest value to a mineral package depending on your location.
What to Know About Williams County
Records Are Kept in Williston
All mineral rights conveyances, leases, and transfers for Williams County are recorded at the Williams County Recorder's Office in Williston. If you've inherited these rights or haven't checked the chain of title recently, it's worth confirming your ownership is clearly documented before you consider selling or leasing.
North Dakota Has a Mineral Dormancy Statute
North Dakota's Dormant Mineral Act can affect severed mineral interests that haven't been used or claimed for 20 years. If your interest was inherited and hasn't had recent activity, it's worth verifying your rights are still properly held in your name. An attorney familiar with North Dakota property law can help you confirm this quickly.
Spacing Units and Pooling Are Common Here
Williams County is heavily pooled — meaning your minerals may already be part of a state-approved drilling and spacing unit. If an operator has drilled or is planning to drill on your unit, you may be owed royalties whether you've signed a lease or not. Check the North Dakota Industrial Commission's well database to see if your land is in an active unit.
Hess Has a Significant Footprint Specifically in Williams County
Unlike some operators who spread activity across multiple Bakken counties, Hess Corporation has concentrated a major portion of its Bakken development in Williams County — particularly around the Tioga area. This focused presence means more potential wells per drilling unit and stronger competition for leases, which benefits mineral owners.
Questions We Hear From Williams County Owners
I got an offer from an operator — is it a fair price?
How is Williams County different from other Bakken counties in North Dakota?
My mineral rights have been sitting idle for years. Are they still worth something?
Find Out What Your Williams County Minerals Are Worth
You don't need to figure this out alone. We'll take a look at your acreage, check the well data, and give you a straight answer on what it's worth — no pressure, no obligation. If the time is right to sell, we'll tell you. If it isn't, we'll tell you that too.
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