Bakken Rig Count Holds at 33, Up 10 from July

North Dakota's active drilling rig count remained unchanged at 33 on Thursday, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The figure showed no daily movement, with no new rigs added, removed, or relocated since Wednesday.

The current activity level represents a gain of two rigs from one week prior, when the state reported 31 active rigs on August 13. More significantly, the count is up by 10 rigs from just one month ago, when 23 rigs were active on July 21.

The steady count comes as industry data firm Enverus released its latest rankings of the most active U.S. land drilling contractors and their customers for the first quarter of 2026, Rigzone reported on Thursday. While the specific rankings for the Bakken region were not detailed in the summary, the release of such data provides a benchmark for comparing contractor activity and operator drilling programs across major shale plays, including the Williston Basin.

The recent monthly increase in Bakken rigs aligns with a broader trend of measured activity growth in the U.S. onshore sector. Drilling contractors and exploration and production companies adjust their capital programs based on commodity prices, operational efficiency targets, and inventory of high-quality drilling locations.

For Bakken operators, maintaining a rig count in the low-30s suggests a focus on disciplined production growth and capital allocation. The formation remains a core economic driver for North Dakota, requiring sustained drilling activity to offset the steep decline rates of horizontal wells.

The stability in the rig count over the past day indicates that current oil price levels and well economics are supporting existing drilling plans without immediate expansion or contraction. Royalty owners and service companies monitor these figures closely as a leading indicator of near-term production and regional economic activity.

Further insights into which specific contractors and operators are driving activity in the Williston Basin may be detailed in the full Enverus report. The firm's quarterly analyses are widely used by industry participants to track market share and drilling trends across all major U.S. shale plays.