The Madison formation
Footprint and mineral-owner context for the Madison, drawn from the same state oil and gas commission well records behind our county pages. Every figure on this page is an estimate subject to verification of your specific interest.
Last updated June 2026.
What is the Madison?
The Madison is a producing formation named across 14 counties in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming, in the Bighorn Basin, Williston Basin, Wind River Basin and Sweetgrass Arch, with 8,627 active wells on record across those counties.
Free written valuation
What are your Madison minerals worth?
Tell us about your interest and where to send the written valuation. It is free, there is no obligation, and this is an estimate, not an offer. Email is required so we can send your report. Phone is optional.
The Madison shows up in state oil and gas commission well records as a producing formation or pool in 14 of the counties and parishes we cover, across the Bighorn Basin, Williston Basin, Wind River Basin and Sweetgrass Arch. It is not confined to one basin; owners in different basins hold Madison interests that are valued the same way, on the income the wells actually pay. Across those counties, state records show 8,627 active wells producing, with the heaviest activity in Park County, Fremont County, Toole County. This page is built from the same public well-record data as our county pages, not a USGS geologic assessment, so it does not carry a play-wide resource estimate the way our larger flagship formation pages do.
Counties in the Madison play
These are the counties and parishes we cover where state commission records show the Madison producing. Each links to that county's own Madison well count and operators, not just the general county page.
What the Madison means for your minerals
A resource estimate for a play is not the value of your acreage. Your mineral and royalty interest is valued on the income your wells actually pay, roughly 36 to 72 times your average monthly royalty check, the same as 3 to 6 times your annual royalty. Where you land in that band depends on your wells decline, the operator, your royalty rate, and any undeveloped drilling upside. For the full method and a free on-screen estimate, see what are my mineral rights worth.
The Madison is not confined to one basin: state records show it producing across Bighorn Basin , Williston Basin , Wind River Basin , and Sweetgrass Arch . For the basin-wide value bands and the counties we buy in, see each basin's page.
Madison questions
- Which counties does the Madison produce in?
- State commission well records show the Madison producing in 14 counties we cover: Big Horn County, Bottineau County, Bowman County, Burke County, Carbon County, Fremont County, Glacier County, Hot Springs County, McHenry County, Park County, Renville County, Sheridan County, and others. See each county's page for the full local well and operator picture.
- How many wells produce from the Madison?
- Across the counties we cover, state oil and gas commission records show about 8,627 active wells tied to the Madison. That figure is a sum across counties from public well records, not a measure of any one owner's interest.
- What is a Madison mineral interest worth?
- A Madison interest is valued the same way as any producing interest: roughly 36 to 72 times your average monthly royalty check. Where you land in that range depends on your wells' decline, the operator, your royalty rate, and any undeveloped drilling upside. This is an estimate, not an offer.
Sources
- Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (MBOGC) wells (Montana DNRC ArcGIS public service); county assignment via U.S. Census TIGERweb county boundaries
- North Dakota NDIC / Department of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas Wells (ArcGIS public service)
- Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) active wells (Wyoming GIS Center ArcGIS public service)
See what your Madison minerals could be worth
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