Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas · Watford City, ND

Exploration Drilling, INC.

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Exploration Drilling, INC. ranks #72,791 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 3 violations across 4 inspections.

Lower half by penalty100% serious
$2,450
OSHA penalties
3
Violations cited
4
OSHA inspections
#72,791
of 99,447 penalized employers

Exploration Drilling, INC. in Watford City, ND has been the subject of 4 OSHA workplace inspections and 3 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $2,450. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has kept close, sustained watch on Exploration Drilling, INC.: 4 inspections in 1 year, several times a year. These inspections resulted in 3 violations, averaging 0.8 per inspection, on the lighter side. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #72,791 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the lower half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 3 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this runs moderately above peers (1.8x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, San Benito Supply in Greenfield, CA is another mining, quarrying, oil & gas employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $2,430 in current penalties.

0.8
violations per inspection
100.0%
of violations were serious
#72,791
of 99,447 penalized employers

Compliance score

C 79/100
  • C OSHA safety compliance: 3 violations across 4 OSHA inspections (0.8 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.

Channels are separate federal datasets: a dimension marked not applicable simply has no record in that dataset for this employer, not a good or bad score.

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How Exploration Drilling, INC. compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Exploration Drilling, INC. runs moderately below peers (0.5x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts As of 2026

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$2,450 Top 27% most affordable more affordable than 73% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 43,959 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). This entry sits in this band. $5,000–$10,000: 20,304 U.S. employers with a penalty (20%). Above this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,027 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Above this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,546 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Above this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,175 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,877 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,036 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,493 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,095 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 785 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,150 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $0 $55,000 every penalized U.S. employer, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?

Each dot is one of 21 Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Exploration Drilling, INC..

Frequently inspected, many findingsRarely inspected, many findingsFrequently inspected, clean recordBelow median on both4.04.044.04.0010.821.532.343.0OSHA inspectionsViolations citedMCC DEVELOPMENT CORP…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 2BUFFALO GYPSUM, INC., OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 2A TEICHERT & SON INC…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 2VANN ENERGY SERVICES…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 41A TEICHERT & SON INC…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 3JERICO PRODUCTS INC, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 1WEST COAST AGGREGATE…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 3S BAR S QUARRY, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 3HANSON AGGREGATES MI…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 3NATIONAL CEMENT COMP…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 9BROWN SAND INCORPORA…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 2LUCKY BOY RESOURCES …, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 2PROTECH MINERALS, LLC, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 21CRYSTAL CREEK AGGREG…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 3MCGOWN DRILLING, INC., OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 5BIHLMAN BUTTE ROCK INC, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 2AJ'S LOGISTIC SERVIC…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 23GRANITE ROCK COMPANY, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 10STALLION OIL FIELD S…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 4DIAMONDBACK E&P LLC, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 0Exploration Drilling…, OSHA inspections: 4 · Violations cited: 3
Exploration Drilling, INC. has 4 OSHA inspections on record and 3 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

Exploration Drilling, INC. in the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas enforcement ledger

Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas sector: Exploration Drilling, INC. is the #633 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 1,117 employers with nonzero fines ($2,450).

How Exploration Drilling, INC. Compares

Exploration Drilling, INC.'s 0.75 violations per inspection compares to the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas sector average of 3.1 violations per employer.

Against the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas industry average of $4,539 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs moderately below peers (0.5x the sector average).

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

4

First Inspection

2014-07-24

Last Inspection

2014-11-04

Inspection Span

1 yr

Violations / Inspection

0.8

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$613

Industry Avg / Inspection

$2,042

What this shows 4 inspections over 1 year, averaging 0.8 violations per visit. That's $613 per inspection vs. the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas average of $2,042.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

3

Serious

100.0% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

0

Other-Than-Serious

0.0% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$4,900

Current Penalty Amount

$2,450

Penalty Reduction

50.0%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $2,450 from the initial assessment of $4,900. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas

How Exploration Drilling, INC. compares to the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas sector, which has 2,294 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Exploration Drilling, INC. Industry Avg
Inspections 4 2.2
Violations 3 3.1
Total Penalty $2,450 $4,539
Avg Penalty per Inspection $613 $2,042

Nationwide Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for Exploration Drilling, INC., both outside ND so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Nearby & Similar Employers in Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas

Showing 5 of 2293 other employers tracked in this sector.

Compare Exploration Drilling, INC. vs Nomac Drilling, LLC Rig #90 side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use Exploration Drilling, INC.'s enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

  • A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Exploration Drilling, INC. against Nomac Drilling, LLC Rig #90, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
  • See whether Exploration Drilling, INC.'s inspection and penalty record is typical for Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas sector
  • Before you accept a job or raise a safety concern, search any employer for its own OSHA inspection history the same way you found this one. Search employers

Figures reflect closed OSHA and WHD federal enforcement actions on record (2010–2026); not every workplace issue results in an inspection or investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Exploration Drilling, INC. safe to work at?
Based on OSHA records, Exploration Drilling, INC.'s workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 3 violations across 4 inspections, including 3 serious violations. Compared to Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas industry peers, this is below average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Exploration Drilling, INC. have?
Exploration Drilling, INC. has 3 OSHA violations on record, including 3 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $2,450.
How many OSHA inspections has Exploration Drilling, INC. had?
Exploration Drilling, INC. has had 4 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2014-07-24 and the most recent on 2014-11-04. This averages 0.8 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Exploration Drilling, INC.?
Exploration Drilling, INC. has been assessed $2,450 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $4,900 (a 50.0% reduction).
Does Exploration Drilling, INC. have any serious or willful violations?
Yes. Exploration Drilling, INC. has 3 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
What industry does Exploration Drilling, INC. operate in?
Exploration Drilling, INC. operates in the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas sector (NAICS code 213112). This industry has 2,294 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 5,098 total OSHA inspections and $10.41M in cumulative penalties.
Where does Exploration Drilling, INC. rank nationally on OSHA penalties?
Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, Exploration Drilling, INC. ranks #72,791 (the lower half of penalized employers nationally). The ordinal is a live COUNT of employers with a lower total_current_penalty; see the methodology page for the exact derivation.
How does Exploration Drilling, INC.'s safety record compare to industry average?
Exploration Drilling, INC.'s total OSHA penalty of $2,450 is below the Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas industry average of $4,539 per employer. The employer has 4 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.2 per employer. For a direct comparison, San Benito Supply in Greenfield, CA is a similar mining, quarrying, oil & gas employer with $2,430 in current penalties.
Data Sources & Methodology

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.

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Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's ratios (penalty-per-violation, industry comparisons) are computed live from the 4 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.