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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

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