WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
BAKKEN WIRE
Bakken Rig Count Rises to 27 with Two New Additions - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

Bakken Rig Count Rises to 27 with Two New Additions

Burlington Resources and Continental Resources each deployed a new rig in the Williston Basin on Monday, offsetting one release.

Bakken Wire Staff·🌅Afternoon Wire·

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota's Williston Basin rose by one to 27 on Monday, June 22, according to live rig data from Bakken Wire. The net increase came from two new rigs being spudded and one rig being released from service.

Two major operators added new drilling capacity. Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP put the NOBLE 6 rig to work at a location in McKenzie County (151-96-7). Meanwhile, Continental Resources, Inc. started drilling with the NOBLE 4 rig at a site in Williams County (153-102-11). No rigs were reported to have moved between locations on Monday.

The single rig removed from the active fleet was the T&S DRILLING 3, which had been operating for Tobacco Garden SWD LLC at a McKenzie County location (152-97-31). Its release brought the total number of rigs removed for the day to one.

The current activity level represents a slight decline from one week prior. On June 15, 2026, the Bakken rig count stood at 28, meaning the basin has seen a net decrease of one rig over the past seven days. However, the longer-term, one-month trend shows an increase in drilling activity. Compared to the 25 rigs reported active on May 23, 2026, the current count is two rigs higher.

The steady activity from large independents like Continental Resources underscores the ongoing development of core Bakken acreage. The basin's rig count is a key leading indicator for future oil production, with operators carefully managing capital spending in response to commodity prices and operational efficiency gains. The concentration of new activity in McKenzie and Williams counties continues a long-standing trend, as these counties contain some of the most productive geologic sweet spots within the Bakken and Three Forks formations.

The marginal week-over-week dip and month-over-month gain suggest a stable but cautious operational environment. Operators are maintaining enough rigs to hold leases and manage production decline curves, while significant rig count expansion would likely require a sustained period of higher oil prices.

Source

Bakken Wire Live Rig Data, Historical Context Data

rig countdrillingcontinental resourcesburlington resourcesmckenzie countywilliams countybakken formationwilliston basin

Share this article

PostShareShareEmail

Related Articles

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34 as U.S. Total Remains Steady - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34 as U.S. Total Remains Steady

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota remained at 34 on Saturday, September 5, with no additions, removals, or location changes reported since Friday, according to Bakken Wire live data. The current count represents a decrease of two rigs from one week ago, when 36 rigs were active on August 29. However, activity is up five rigs from the level seen a month ago on August 6, when 29 rigs were working. Nationwide, the U.S. rig count was unchanged for the week ended September 4 at 588 units, according to Baker Hughes data reported by Bing News. The national count is up 51 rigs from the same period last year. The report noted that while Louisiana and Pennsylvania each lost one rig, Texas and Colorado each gained one. The number of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S. was 449, up two from the previous year. In contrast,...

☀️Morning Wire·Sep 5
North Dakota Rig Count Drops to 34; Phoenix Operating Rig Released - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Drops to 34; Phoenix Operating Rig Released

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota's Bakken formation fell by one to 34 on Friday, September 4, according to live data from Bakken Wire. One rig was released from service, with no new rigs added and no rigs moving location. The rig removed was Phoenix Operating LLC's T&S DRILLING 2, which had been working at location 160-98 -13 in Divide County. The current count of 34 rigs is down by two from the total of 36 active one week ago, on August 28. However, drilling activity has increased compared to a month prior; the state had 30 active rigs on August 5, representing a net gain of four rigs over the past month. The broader North American drilling landscape showed mixed signals this week. According to Baker Hughes data reported by Bing News, the overall U.S. rig count held steady at 588 for the week ended September...

🌅Afternoon Wire·Sep 4
North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 35 for Third Consecutive Day - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 35 for Third Consecutive Day

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota was unchanged at 35 on Friday, September 4, according to daily data from Bakken Wire. No rigs were added, removed, or moved locations in the past 24 hours. The current count is down by one rig from the 36 reported one week ago, on August 28, 2026. However, activity has shown growth over the past month, with the total being five rigs higher than the 30 active rigs recorded on August 5. This period of stability in the Bakken formation, the state's primary oil-producing region, comes amid continued geopolitical tensions affecting other global oil frontiers. According to a report from OilPrice.com, Argentina's President Javier Milei has threatened sanctions against oil companies drilling near the disputed Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls Las Malvinas. The report states that Milei, emboldened by shifting U.S. diplomatic signals, said Argentina would "continue to bar from operating...

☀️Morning Wire·Sep 4