After drilling numerous dry holes and finding a small oil field in the northern part of Wyoming, independent oil man Sam Gary discovered the Bell Creek Field, a giant stratigraphic trap in the Lower Cretaceous Muddy Sandstone. The Field is located in the northeastern part of the Powder River Basin, in Powder River and Carter counties, Montana. Sam’s discovery served as an analog field, leading many operators to explore for similar large stratigraphic trap fields throughout the Rocky Mountain basins and the rest of the world. Because of its’ remote location, Sam estimated that the Field will have at least a 50-year life. Consequently, he built a small community that he named Belle Creek, providing homes, a general store, service station and school for oil field employees and their families. The town now serves area ranchers in addition to oil field hands.