Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC is one of the largest active operators in the North Dakota Bakken, carrying a portfolio of 3,569 total wells — 1,741 active and 1,815 producing now — spread across Williams, Mountrail, and McKenzie counties. As of late August 2026, the company has just cleared a cluster of Ross-Bakken and Glass Bluff-Bakken regulatory actions (orders signed July 2026) and is pressing forward with 2 pending cases in the Wheelock-Bakken Pool in Williams County, set for a September 23, 2026 hearing. A spacing unit case in Mountrail's Ross-Bakken (5 wells authorized, 93.9% progression probability) and paired Dollar Joe-Bakken cases in Williams (continued pending) round out an active docket that signals deliberate, multi-pool expansion rather than maintenance drilling. The operator's 83% historical win rate and a momentum ramp score of 4.0 reinforce a picture of a well-resourced incumbent executing a disciplined land-and-drill strategy.
All 2 pending cases are in Williams County, targeting the Wheelock-Bakken Pool at Sections 2, 11, 14, and 23, T.156N., R.98W. — a pool with 5 prior wells, making it a relatively early-stage area for Hess. Both cases (spacing unit 33161 authorizing 2 wells on 2,560 acres, and companion pooling case 33176) are set for the September 23, 2026 hearing. The hearing-level progression probabilities are 97.6% and 99.2% respectively, consistent with the operator's 83% historical win rate and the high-probability momentum average of 98.4%. In Mountrail County, the Ross-Bakken docket (cases 33090, 33102, 33103, 33104) was heard August 26, 2026: three pooling cases progressed to order and the spacing unit (5 wells authorized, 93.9% probability) remains pending. In Williams County, the Dollar Joe-Bakken cases (32919 and 32933) were first heard June 24, 2026, continued to August 26, and remain continued pending.
Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC holds 3,569 total wells in North Dakota — 1,741 active, 1,815 producing now, and 1,053 plugged. The gap between active and producing-now counts is narrow, suggesting high utilization of the active base. The plugged count reflects the scale and age of the operation; in ND Bakken context, a large plugged inventory is typical of operators who have been drilling since the early shale era. Current work types span the full development cycle: drilling rigs, frac crews, frac sand, new-pad dirt & construction, and water logistics & trucking.
Eight orders were signed July 16–17, 2026. In McKenzie County: two pooling orders (35682, 35681) covering Glass Bluff and/or Elk-Bakken Pools, plus two spacing/field redefinition orders (35660, 35659) reshaping the Glass Bluff-Bakken and Elk-Bakken Pool boundaries. In Mountrail County: a spacing order amendment (35266) covering Big Butte-Bakken and White Earth-Bakken Pools, two pooling orders (35680, 35281) in Big Butte-Bakken, and a spacing unit modification/pool redefinition (34882) also in Big Butte-Bakken. The concentration of field redefinition and spacing amendment orders — four of the eight — is notable; it indicates active boundary management across mature pools, likely to accommodate infill or extended-reach lateral programs. On the pending side, the Dollar Joe-Bakken spacing case (32919) carries a 75% progression probability and the companion pooling case (32933) sits at 69.6%, both below the operator's 83% win rate, with the spacing case authorizing 2 wells on 2,560 acres.
The operator's momentum ramp score is 4.0, with 2 pending cases, 2 high-probability cases, and 2 wells authorized in the current pipeline. The win rate stands at 83% and the average progression probability across active cases is 98.4%. All current pending activity is concentrated in Williams County, with the next hearing date of September 23, 2026.