Search NDIC filings and inspect coverage across permits, orders, and cases — without opening every PDF first.
Top Operators by Oil Production
MBbl = thousands of barrels. Signal Wells = wells with extracted permit intelligence.
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Operator
Oil (MBbl)
Gas (MMcf)
Producing Wells
Signal Wells
The production table shows which operators already have structured well-level intelligence in the system.
The casefile table shows which of those operators also have active regulatory cases, connecting upstream filings to current production context.
Spacing
New well pattern approved — operator is locking in acreage ahead of a drilling program. Typically leads to a pad of 2–6 wells within 6–18 months. Pooling
Mineral rights consolidated across multiple owners — regulatory prerequisite before spud. Well spud likely within 3–12 months of order. Enhanced Recovery
Secondary/tertiary injection program approved — signals field expansion or pressure maintenance on existing production. Pending
Case not yet decided — hearing is scheduled. Imminent decision. Highest urgency. Next Hearing — the most recent upcoming (or most recently passed) NDIC hearing date for any pending case by this operator. A hearing date in the past means the case was recently heard and an order is likely imminent. Coverage — Both means this operator also has individual well permit files (wellfile intelligence) in our signal database — you can see those filings under Wellfile Updates. Casefile only means we have regulatory case data but no processed wellfile permits yet for this operator.
Operator
Regulatory Cases
Pending
Spacing
Pooling
ER
Next Hearing
Coverage
Operator Disagreements — Classified by Type
Well
Type
Claude (Sonnet)
Grok
Haiku
Not all disagreements are equal
The raw count overstates the signal. Disagreements fall into three types — only one is actionable.
AcquisitionDifferent companies — the document names the original filer; the acquiring company now operates the well. Worth investigating. Acquisition
Examples: Devon / Grayson Mill (2024), Chord / Whiting (2022), ExxonMobil / XTO (2010)
FormattingSame company, different punctuation — LLC vs L.L.C., all-caps OCR vs title case. Not meaningful.
Name variantOne model abbreviated — Claude returned "KODA Resources" while Grok returned "KODA Resources Operating, LLC." Same entity, Claude just truncated. Not meaningful.
Bottom line
Only Acquisition rows warrant a closer look
If Grok + Haiku agree and Claude differs, Claude likely applied current-entity knowledge
Formatting and name variant rows are model noise, not data errors
Avg Sentiment by Document Category
Document Category Mix
Regulatory Documents
Most Contentious
(negative sentiment — penalties, contested hearings)
Most Routine / Positive
(positive sentiment — routine approvals, standard orders)
Documents with scores between −0.2 and 0 (neutral or mixed tone) are not shown in either section.
Wellfile Signals — Sorted by Last Seen
Well
Operator
County
Hazard
Signals
Flags
Last Seen
Regulatory Signal Search
📄Showing pre-computed example results. Live search connecting…
Search NDIC filings by operator, activity, or topic to surface the right filing before opening the source PDF — e.g. "Hess pooling order" or "Devon completion Williams County."
Filings indexed and analyzed daily.
Docket filings are the earliest upstream signal in the regulatory pipeline — a spacing application appears here 4–8 weeks before the NDIC hearing, and months before a signed order authorizes drilling.
All counts below are bucketed by when each case first appeared on a docket, so continued cases are not double-counted as recent activity.
Upcoming & Active Spacing Cases — First Filed Last 60 Days
Includes scheduled and active continued cases — earliest available signal before a signed order · Click any row to expand
Active Counties
New Filings — Last 90 Days
Operators with high-relevance spacing applications, bucketed by first docket appearance
A regulatory-timing radar for North Dakota. Every upcoming high-relevance order — spacing, pooling, field-extension, or enhanced-recovery — defines a section about to be drilled, pooled, or unitized, with an act-before hearing date. Each row carries the operator, pool, county, acreage, the hearing date, and an ML progression probability + operator win-rate — so you see which sections are moving, and how likely each is to actually happen, weeks before it shows on a permit or a rig report. Filter by county, operator, type, hearing window, or probability, and open any row's dossier. The value is the timing and the synthesis: one screen that watches the whole docket, scores it, and tells you where to be early. (The Legacy column counts pre-1995 verticals in the pool.) Sorted by hearing date.
Deal Queue — control panel
Docket feed ranked as deals · operator · pool · county · hearing date · ML progression probability
Why this is an opportunity & how to pursue it.
A pending high-relevance order means the minerals under that section are about to be developed, force-pooled, or unitized — a one-time liquidity event for the owners, with an act-before date. To turn a row into a deal:
Open the pool's dossier — it surfaces the legacy lessor families, the operator/lease chain, and the recorder title for that section.
Pull the recorded lease for the legacy well at the county recorder (grantor + year) and read the habendum, paying-quantities, shut-in, Pugh and continuous-operations clauses.
Run an NDRIN chain-of-title on each lessor surname, scoped to the section, to resolve the current owner (the deed chain overrides last-known / escheat names).
Classify the play: lease lapsed → leasing / finder fee · held but mispaid → royalty audit · no clean lapse → sell the intelligence package to a fund or the operator.
Contact the owner before the hearing — that date is the window.
Every clause finding is a review lead, not a proven claim, until the recorded lease is pulled.
The rare three-way overlap no other view computes.
A legacy mineral lease is normally held forever by an old producing vertical. But when that vertical stops producing — its lease can lapse and the minerals revert to the family. This view catches the moment that happens at the same time a new operator files to redevelop the same pool, and we already know who the owner is. Three legs, one pool, one window: the old lease dies exactly as modern bonus money arrives. We read the NDIC monthly production record (which nothing else here touches) to tell a lapsing lease from one that's firmly held, then keep only pools where all three legs line up — so every row is a deal you can actually work, with a clock, a name, and a next action. NDIC publishes the raw production, permits, and dockets; the cessation read, the join, and the convergence score are ours. This is a local proxy — confirm cessation against the well file and county recorder before acting.
Lease-clock (cessation). Each pre-1995 legacy vertical in the pool is checked against the NDIC monthly production CSVs. Ceased = a well that produced within the synced window and then went to zero or dropped out of the latest month (a real, recent lease-lapse candidate); idle = barely producing or steeply declining; producing = lease firmly held (excluded). Wells that never produced in the window — or are plugged/dry — are excluded, not counted as ceased: they're long dead, not lapsing now. A pool with several genuinely-ceased verticals scores highest on this leg. Redevelopment. The strongest pending spacing/pooling/field-extension/enhanced-recovery case in the same pool, weighted by its relevance and our case-progression probability — an operator moving to recapture the section now. Owner. An identified, contactable mineral owner under that section (from the well-file owner extraction), scored by how reachable they are. Convergence score = 40% cessation + 35% redevelopment + 25% owner contactability, 0–100. We only list pools that clear all three legs — the intersection, not the union — which is why this list is short on purpose.
Why this is an opportunity & how to pursue it.
These are the rare pools where a lease is lapsing, a redevelopment case is pending, and the owner is known — all at once. The window is short. To work a row:
Pull the lease for the row's worst-clock vertical and confirm the cessation actually breaks the continuous-operations / HBP clause — HBP travels by lease, not by well: a dead well doesn't end the lease if a sister well on the same lease still produces.
Verify the cessation against the well file and county recorder — this is a local production proxy, not proof.
NDRIN the owner by section to confirm current ownership and that no fund or landman has already worked it.
Contact the owner before the hearing. The leverage is the owner's: unitization can force-pool holdouts, so the value is helping them beat statutory terms — not holding up the operator.
A short list is the point — only pools that clear all three legs appear, and a held or already-re-leased pool is a royalty-audit lead, not a lease challenge.
Which North Dakota operators are about to ramp development — so you can time outreach.
Every spacing, pooling, field-extension, or enhanced-recovery case is a development commitment: wells to be drilled, sections to be unitized, capital about to deploy. This view rolls the live docket pipeline up per operator — how many cases are pending, how many our model rates high-probability, how many wells and acres are coming, the forward docket forecast, and the operator's historical win rate. Ranked by ramp score (wells coming × model confidence + forward forecast). Click any operator to open its list of pending cases. Built from NDIC dockets + our case-progression model — NDIC publishes the raw filings; the scoring and forecast are ours.
Operator Ramp — development pipeline by operator
Pending docket cases · model progression probability · forward forecast · ramp score
What the columns mean & how Ramp is scored
Ramp score ranks operators by how much development they have coming, weighted by how likely it is to happen: wells coming × avg progression-probability + 5 × forecast next month. Higher = a bigger, more-confident development pipeline — i.e. a hotter outreach target.
Pending — open spacing / pooling / field-extension / EOR cases for this operator in the current docket window (last ~2 months forward; a case can have a hearing already held but no signed order yet).
High-prob — of those, how many our case-progression model rates ≥80% likely to advance.
Wells coming / Acres — total wells authorized and acres across those pending cases — the size of the build-out.
Forecast — our model's projected number of new docket cases this operator files next month (forward signal, independent of what's already pending).
Win rate — the operator's historical share of cases that pass; the small (NN% avg) is the average progression-probability across their current pending cases.
Next hearing — the soonest hearing date still in the future. “— heard” means their pending cases were already heard and are awaiting a signed order (no upcoming date).
Click any operator row to open its pending cases (highest-probability first), each shown as plain facts. Built from NDIC docket filings + our case-progression model and forecast.
Why this is an opportunity & how to pursue it.
This view is for oilfield-service and equipment vendors who sell into operators about to spend: an operator with a big, high-confidence development pipeline is a timed outreach target. To pursue:
Start at the top of the ramp ranking — those operators have the most development coming, weighted by how likely it is to happen.
Click the operator to see its specific pending cases, counties, and wells coming — scope it to your service territory.
Time outreach to the operator's land / procurement / supply-chain ahead of the spud — among units that drill, the median is ~3.4 months from order to spud.
Prioritize high-prob, near-hearing cases — those convert soonest.
Honest framing: this is a show-and-test feed — willingness-to-pay isn't validated yet. The ranking is the product, not the raw list of filings (which NDIC publishes for free).
New oil & gas drilling units coming to North Dakota — one row per location, ranked by how likely it is to actually get drilled.
Every spacing, pooling, field-extension, or enhanced-recovery case defines a drilling unit — a specific township / range / sections where wells are planned. Most service spend (water, sand, rentals, facility hookup, workforce, title) is triggered by a new pad. The catch: only about 40% of approved spacing units ever get drilled — the rest is inventory operators bank. So this is not a raw filing dump: each unit is ranked by our case-progression model (which separates the units that drill from inventory) and stage-stitched — spacing → permit filed → spud — so you see which are nearest-term. Filter to your service counties. NDIC publishes the raw filings; the ranking, the legal-location parse, and the stage are ours.
New Development Locations — by drilling unit
Legal location · pool · operator · wells · model progression probability · stage
What the columns mean, how units are ranked & the honest caveat
Each row is one docket case = one planned drilling unit. Rows are ordered by stage first (an issued permit or a spud is harder evidence than any score), then by model progression probability within each stage.
Stage — where this unit is in the pipeline, dated to this development cycle: spacing (approved, no permit yet — earliest signal, ~40% base rate to drill), permit filed (a permit is filed / location staked — spud imminent), spud (a well is already spudded in the unit). Most upcoming units are spacing-only; permit/spud light up as the cycle advances.
Prob — our case-progression model's probability this case advances to a signed order. This is what separates the ~40% that drill from inventory. "—" means the case is too new to have been scored yet.
Greenfield — no prior well has ever been drilled in the unit's sections, so this is a brand-new pad (the full spend chain). Otherwise the unit is infill near existing wells.
Wells — wells authorized by the case (the size of the build-out; pooling cases often list none).
Hearing — the case's hearing date. Earlier docket appearance means more lead time before any spud.
Lead-time basis (measured, not pitched): across 284 signed spacing orders, only ~40% drilled within 18 months — but among those that did, the median was 3.4 months order→spud. The value here is the ranking, not the list. Click any row for the full legal location, dates, and model brief.
Why this is an opportunity & how to pursue it.
Each row is a new pad about to trigger service spend — water, sand, rentals, facility hookup, workforce, title. The ranking tells you which are real and which are inventory. To pursue:
Sort by stage — a permit-filed or spud unit is harder evidence than any score; work those first.
Flag greenfield rows — a brand-new pad triggers the full spend chain, not just infill top-up.
Filter to your service counties and reach the operator before the pad mobilizes.
Use the model probability to skip inventory — only ~40% of approved spacing units ever drill.
Same show-and-test caveat as Operator Ramp: the value is the ranking and the stage-stitch, not the raw NDIC filing list.
Three Forks Average Depth by County — Williston Basin (32K wells)
🟢 Green = shallower (<9,000 ft) — cheaper to drill |
🟡 Yellow = mid-depth (9,000–10,000 ft) |
🔴 Red = deep (>10,000 ft, Bakken core) — highest cost, highest production potential
Why you can trust the data
Source filings
Everything on this page starts with NDIC public filings — well permits, commission orders, and case files. New filings are pulled and indexed daily.
Structured extraction
Each filing is parsed into operator, county, formation, permit type, flags, and outcome fields so you can search and compare filings without manually rereading the document.
Summaries with source context
The system produces plain-English summaries and keeps the filing link attached, so you can decide whether a document matters before opening the source PDF.
Priority cues
Signals such as filing type, tone, hazards, and pending status help separate routine approvals from filings that deserve faster attention.
What this tool does
Use this page when you want to search filings directly, inspect the earliest hearing signals, or validate coverage across operators and counties. For day-to-day workflows, start with Ask, Signed Orders, or Wellfile Updates and come here when you want more depth.
🔍 Regulatory Signals — how to search
Search by operator name
Enter an operator name to see all recent filings associated with that company — permits, orders, and case outcomes.
"Hess" returns pooling orders, completion permits, and any regulatory actions involving Hess Corporation in North Dakota.
Search by activity type
Use operational terms to find filings by what's happening — not just who filed them.
"disposal well approval" returns filings where an injection or disposal well was approved. "stimulation plan" returns completion-stage permits. "fracking contractor" returns filings that name specific service companies.
Search by regulatory topic
Find filings by the regulatory issue involved — useful for tracking enforcement patterns or spotting operators with compliance problems.
"pooling order Mountrail" narrows to mineral pooling cases in that county. "penalty" or "violation" surfaces enforcement actions. "spacing exception" finds wells requesting non-standard unit configurations.
Reading a result card
Each result shows the filing type, operator, county, and an auto-generated summary of what the filing covers. Click the filename link to open the original NDIC document.
The summary tells you the outcome in 2–3 sentences. You don't need to open the PDF unless you need the detail — use the summary to decide if it's worth your time.
📋 Regulatory Intelligence — what you're seeing
Tone score (contentious vs routine)
Each filing is scored on language tone from −1.0 (adversarial) to +1.0 (routine approval). Negative scores flag contested hearings, penalties, and denied applications.
Score below −0.2 = something was disputed or penalised. Use the negative-sentiment list to quickly find operators in regulatory trouble or filings that didn't go smoothly.
Filing categories
Filings are classified into types: field rule amendments, spacing exceptions, pooling orders, notices of hearing, penalties, and setback variances. Use this to filter for the activity type relevant to you.
If you sell completion services, focus on spacing exceptions and pooling orders — those precede drilling decisions. If you're tracking compliance risk, focus on penalties and notices of hearing.
Operator risk signals
Operators appearing repeatedly in negative-tone filings — penalties, withdrawn applications, contested hearings — carry higher regulatory risk. This affects their permitting speed and operational predictability.
An operator with three penalty filings in 90 days may face permit delays or increased scrutiny. That affects your timeline if you're planning to work with them.
Well Signals — reading the flags
Signal Count
Each permit is analyzed for non-routine items. A higher count means more regulatory conditions, contractor requirements, or complications.
1–2 = standard permit (grey). 3–4 = elevated complexity (orange). 5+ = complex well with multiple conditions (red). Complex wells take longer to approve and have more service touchpoints.
Hazard Level — HIGH / MOD / STD
An overall hazard classification assigned by an AI intelligence model based on all signals found in the well's documents. HIGH = multiple serious conditions. MOD = one or more notable items. STD = no ML intelligence report has been run yet — the well has regulatory signals but hasn't been analyzed by the model.
HIGH typically indicates H₂S presence, contested setbacks, or enforcement history. MOD indicates items worth attention but not critical. STD means the well is in the signal database but its permits haven't been processed through the intelligence pipeline yet.
H₂S — Hydrogen sulfide detected
The formation contains toxic gas. Requires specialized safety equipment, certified personnel, and stricter site setbacks. Raises operational cost for all on-site services.
H₂S-flagged wells require additional certifications and equipment. Factor into quotes and mobilisation plans for any field service work.
FLARE — Gas capture not yet in place
Natural gas will be flared because gathering infrastructure is not yet connected. A gap — and a service opportunity for midstream providers and pipeline contractors.
A newly permitted well with a flaring plan has no gas sales infrastructure. That operator will need gathering connections within 12–18 months or face regulatory action.
SETBK — Setback variance required
The well location is closer than standard minimums to a road, building, or property boundary. Requires Commission approval and is sometimes contested. Expect permit delays.
WATER — Non-standard water sourcing
The permit references a surface water application, injection well, or water recycling plan. Signals the operator is actively managing water logistics.
Relevant for water haulers, disposal well operators, and recycling service providers.
Permit Cycle Signals
Specific items extracted from the permit text, each tagged by date and type. Expand any well row to see them.
Time-Sensitive = a deadline or approval window mentioned in the permit. Structural = a specific infrastructure, equipment, or design condition that must be met.
Practical use of the signals table
Filter by operator to see all their active permits and what conditions are attached
FLARE flag = operator needs gathering infrastructure — contact before construction starts