Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation Individual Well Bond - Form 3
Overview
Oil and gas operators drilling individual wells in Montana need the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation Individual Well Bond — Form 3 before a single bit turns. This bond is filed on a per-well basis, covering the specific well location you are permitted to drill, complete, or plug. It guarantees the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation that you will properly construct, operate, and ultimately reclaim the well site according to state standards. If you walk away from a well without plugging it or cleaning up the site, this bond gives the state a financial mechanism to get it done.
Who Needs This Bond?
Independent operators, small drilling companies, and single-well working interest owners are the primary buyers of this bond. If you are setting up a new well location under your own operator number and you have not posted a blanket bond covering your Montana operations, Form 3 is your path. Any operator who wants to bond well-by-well rather than maintaining a statewide blanket bond will need a separate Form 3 for each individual well they permit with the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation.
What is this Bond For?
Form 3 protects the State of Montana, the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, and the surrounding environment from the cost of an operator's failure to properly plug, abandon, and reclaim a well site. If production ends and you fail to plug the well to state specifications or restore the surface, the bond funds that work. It also covers violations of Board drilling and completion regulations tied to that specific well.
When is it Required?
Before the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation issues a drilling permit for a specific well, your bond must already be on file. The Board reviews your bonding status as part of the permit application — there is no grace period. If you are activating an existing permitted well under a new operator number, bonding must be in place before you take operational control.
Where Does it Apply?
This is a statewide Montana requirement enforced by the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation. The bond is tied to the specific well API number or permit location identified in your application — it does not carry over to other wells. No county or local permit triggers this bond; it flows entirely from the state Board's authority.
How to Buy Online
Click 'Buy This Bond Online' on this page and you will be taken directly to the secure surety portal in a new tab. Fill in your operator information and well details, and complete the purchase. Your bond documents are issued through the portal so you can file with the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation without delay.
Why Bond Titan?
Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency and built for operators who need to move fast — not wait on an agent callback. Our online catalog covers environmental and oil and gas bonds across all fifty states, including Montana's Board of Oil and Gas Conservation requirements. You get your bond documents immediately so you can keep your drilling schedule on track.