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BAKKEN WIRE
Bakken Rig Count Holds at 24 as Drilling Activity Remains Concentrated - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

Bakken Rig Count Holds at 24 as Drilling Activity Remains Concentrated

Operators deploy rigs across four core counties with no reported moves or drops in the latest daily report.

Bakken Wire Staff·☀️Morning Wire·

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota's Bakken formation held steady at 24 on Saturday, April 11, 2026, according to live rig data. The daily report showed 24 rigs actively working, with no rigs removed from service and no rigs that moved locations since the previous day.

All 24 active rigs represent new starts, indicating sustained drilling operations across the Williston Basin. The rigs are concentrated in the Bakken's core production counties. McKenzie County hosts the most activity with six rigs, followed by Williams County with six, Mountrail County with four, and Dunn County with two. Single rigs are also active in Divide and Burke counties.

Major operators are leading the activity. Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP, Devon Energy Williston, L.L.C, Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC, and Oasis Petroleum North America LLC each have multiple rigs in the field. Burlington and Devon each reported three active rigs, while Hess and Oasis each reported two.

Specific drilling locations show a focus on development within established areas. In McKenzie County, Burlington is operating the NABORS X8 at 148-98-24 and the H & P 603 at 148-98-13. Hess is running the NABORS x24 at 151-96-25. In Williams County, XTO Energy Inc has the H & P 640 at 154-96-3 and the H & P 429 at 154-95-7.

The stability in the rig count comes as the industry continues to develop the broader Williston Basin, which is North Dakota's primary oil-producing region. According to a related news source from Bing News, the Williston Basin covers much of North Dakota and extends into Canada, South Dakota, and Montana.

The consistent rig level signals ongoing capital deployment by operators to maintain production from the Bakken formation. The concentration of rigs in the core counties of McKenzie, Williams, Mountrail, and Dunn aligns with the area's most productive geology. The data shows no expansion or contraction in the fleet size, suggesting a period of steady operational tempo.

Source

Live rig data for April 11, 2026; Bing News summary published April 10, 2026.

rig countdrillingbakkenwilliston basinnorth dakotamckenzie countywilliams countymountrail countydunn county

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