Every oil well drilled in North Dakota has to answer to one agency: the North Dakota Industrial Commission, or NDIC. This is the state body that regulates all oil and gas activity in North Dakota. It does the same job that the Texas Railroad Commission does in Texas. If you want to drill in North Dakota, you start by talking to the NDIC.

When Was the NDIC Created?

The NDIC was established in 1919. At that time, it was set up to regulate grain warehouses and railroads. Over time its mission shifted. As North Dakota's oil industry grew — especially after the Bakken boom started around 2007 — the NDIC's Oil and Gas Division became one of the most important energy regulators in the country. Today the Oil and Gas Division is the busiest part of the agency.

Who Runs It?

The NDIC is made up of three elected officials who serve ex officio — meaning their membership comes from their other positions. The three members are the Governor of North Dakota, the Attorney General, and the Agriculture Commissioner. These three officials meet regularly to make major decisions on oil and gas policy. Day-to-day operations are handled by the Oil and Gas Division staff in Bismarck.

What Does the NDIC Do?

The NDIC's Oil and Gas Division handles a wide range of responsibilities:

  • Issues drilling permits. No well can be drilled in North Dakota without an approved permit from the NDIC. The application must include the location, operator name, target formation, and spacing information.
  • Tracks production. Every oil and gas well must report monthly production to the NDIC. Those numbers are published on the NDIC website and updated each month.
  • Enforces spacing rules. North Dakota has strict rules about how close wells can be drilled to each other. This protects mineral owners and prevents one company from draining another's oil.
  • Oversees well plugging. When a well stops producing, it must be plugged and permanently sealed. The NDIC monitors this process and pursues unplugged orphan wells.
  • Regulates flaring. Natural gas is often produced along with oil. If there is no pipeline to send it to market, some operators burn it off — a process called flaring. The NDIC sets limits on how much gas can be flared and pushes operators to build gas capture infrastructure instead.

How Do You Find Well Data?

The NDIC publishes detailed well records, production reports, and permit histories on its public website at dmr.nd.gov/oilgas. You can search by well name, operator, county, or API number. An API number is a unique 10-digit code given to every oil and gas well in the United States. North Dakota's state code is 33. Monthly production data is posted after a 60-day lag — meaning January's data shows up in March.

What Makes the NDIC's Data Valuable?

Because the Bakken boom happened mostly after 2007, nearly all of North Dakota's well records are digital. There is very little paper-only data like you find in older oil states. This makes the NDIC's database one of the most complete and accessible in the country. Formation tops, completion reports, production histories, and permit status are all online. ScoutTickets.io uses NDIC data to help exploration teams analyze North Dakota prospects quickly and confidently.