Three Forks Formation
The Three Forks formation lies directly below the Bakken in the Williston Basin, providing a secondary tight oil target that many operators drill in tandem with Bakken wells from the same wellpad.
Formation Type
Tight Oil
Depth Range
9,000–11,000 ft
Basin(s)
Williston
States
ND, MT
Geology & Formation Overview
The Three Forks is a Late Devonian dolomitic mudstone and siltstone deposited in a shallow marine setting. It has four identified benches (TF1–TF4), with the first bench being the primary target. Its proximity to the Bakken allows operators to drill both formations from a single pad, improving economics.
Top Operators Targeting the Three Forks
Continental Resources
Active in Williston
Hess Corporation
Active in Williston
Whiting Petroleum
Active in Williston
Oasis Petroleum
Active in Williston
Burlington Resources
Active in Williston
* Operator list based on industry data. Real-time operator permit counts available via API.
Geographic Extent
States
Access This Data via API
Access Three Forks formation well permit data. Filter by state, operator, and date. Source-data freshness varies by state.
/v1/drilling-intelligence/well-permits?formation=three-forkscurl -X GET "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/drilling-intelligence/well-permits?formation=three-forks"
Sample Response
{
"data": {
"formation": "Three Forks",
"type": "Tight Oil",
"basins": [
"Williston"
],
"states": [
"ND",
"MT"
],
"depth_range": "9,000–11,000 ft",
"top_operators": [
"Continental Resources",
"Hess Corporation",
"Whiting Petroleum"
]
},
"meta": {
"source": "OilPriceAPI Drilling Intelligence",
"note": "Static sample response — the live endpoint returns current data"
}
}Three Forks Formation FAQs
The Three Forks is a Tight Oil play located in the Williston at depths of 9,000–11,000 ft. The Three Forks formation lies directly below the Bakken in the Williston Basin, providing a secondary tight oil target that many operators drill in tandem with Bakken wells from the same wellpad.
The Three Forks formation spans ND, MT within the Williston basin. The Three Forks is a Late Devonian dolomitic mudstone and siltstone deposited in a shallow marine setting. It has four identified benches (TF1–TF4), with the first bench being the primary target. Its
Major operators targeting the Three Forks formation include: Continental Resources, Hess Corporation, Whiting Petroleum, Oasis Petroleum, Burlington Resources. These companies have significant acreage positions and active drilling programs in the play.
The Three Forks formation is found at depths of approximately 9,000–11,000 ft. This varies by location within the basin, with deeper sections generally requiring more drilling days and capital per well.
OilPriceAPI provides well permit data filtered by formation, state, and operator. Use the drilling intelligence endpoint: GET /v1/drilling-intelligence/well-permits with formation parameters. Sign up free at oilpriceapi.com to start querying formation-level data.
Get Three Forks Well Permit Data via API
Query well permits filtered by formation, operator, state, and date range. Track Three Forks drilling activity in real-time.
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