Cedar Creek is the major anticlinal structure marking the southwestern flank of the Williston basin. More than 327 million bbl of oil have been produced from Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs in 15 fields along the feature. This pronounced fold developed through recurrent tectonic movements along a northwest-striking fault zone. There are four major periods of tectonism documentable in the Cedar Creek area from early Paleozoic to middle Tertiary times.

Uplift and fault movement accompanied northward and eastward tilting of the major Cedar Creek block in Early Devonian time. Silurian strata were eroded prior to Middle Devonian time, and a karst plain developed. Middle and Upper Devonian sediments progressively onlapped and infilled the uplifted, northwest-plunging element. During latest Late Devonian time, fault movement occurred along the main fault zone. The block was uplifted and titled northward and eastward. Extensive erosion resulted in the near peneplanation of the structure and in truncation of Upper Devonian strata. Positive paleostructural influence continued during Mississippian time. In late Mississippian and Early Pennsylvanian time, the central and northern part of the Cedar Creek area was gently downwarped with relativ down-to-the-east fault movement along most of the faults. Similar faulting and subsidence influenced the deposition and preservation of Permian and Triassic evaporite-rich red bed sequences. Relative tectonic stability was attained by the Middle Jurassic and maintained until post-Paleocene time.

The main uplift of the Cedar Creek block occurred during post-Paleocene time and was accompanied by major flexuring and deep fault adjustment. Northwestward plunge along the anticline crest was increased. The entire area was subsequently uplifted during epeirogenic phases in middle Tertiary time, and Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous strata were eroded along the axis of the present structure.