WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
ND Drilling Rig Count Holds at 27 After Two Additions, Three Departures - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

ND Drilling Rig Count Holds at 27 After Two Additions, Three Departures

Hunt Oil added two rigs in Burke and Divide counties, while three others were released in the western core.

Bakken Wire Staff·🌅Afternoon Wire·

North Dakota's active drilling rig count remained at 27 on Tuesday, June 16, according to live Bakken Wire data, as two new rigs offset three that were released. The tally is unchanged from one week ago but up by five rigs compared to one month ago.

Hunt Oil Company added both of the new rigs. The company deployed T&S Drilling 2 to a location in Burke County (160-91-35) and Nabors B21 to a location in Divide County (160-100-6), the data shows.

Three rigs were released from service. Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP removed two rigs—Noble 6 and Nabors 6—both from the same pad in McKenzie County (151-96-7). Separately, Zavanna Energy Operating, LLC released Nabors X28 from a location in Williams County (155-100-22). No rigs were reported as having moved locations.

The flat week-over-week activity comes amid broader industry discussions about the future of the Bakken. According to a report from northdakotamonitor.com summarized by Bing News, North Dakota elected officials are pushing for rapid progress on next-generation oil production technology ahead of a potential change in the federal administration. The article, headlined "'Time Is The Enemy': Oil Industry Faces Uncertainty In What The Bakken's Next Era Will Look Like," highlights the political and technological pressures facing the basin.

Meanwhile, labor unrest in another major oil-producing region could have indirect implications for global supply and sentiment. Rigzone reported that hundreds of well workers offshore Norway went on strike on Tuesday after the Norwegian Union of Energy Workers refused proposals it viewed as lagging behind industry standards.

The stability in North Dakota's rig count this week follows a noticeable increase over the past month, suggesting sustained, if cautious, operator interest in the Williston Basin. The core counties of McKenzie, Williams, and Mountrail continue to host the majority of drilling activity, though Tuesday's new deployments show ongoing work in Divide and Burke counties as well.

Source

Bakken Wire Live Rig Data, Bing News summary of northdakotamonitor.com, Rigzone

rig countdrillinghunt oilburlington resourceszavanna energybakkenwilliston basin

Share this article

Related Articles

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota remained unchanged at 34 on Sunday, August 23, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The count showed no movement, with no new rigs added, removed, or relocated since Saturday. The current activity level represents a significant increase from recent lows. The rig count is up by two from the 32 rigs reported one week ago on August 16, and is up by ten from the 24 rigs active one month ago on July 24. While onshore shale activity in the Bakken holds steady, major international oil companies are pursuing high-risk, high-reward drilling projects in other basins. According to a report from OilPrice.com, Mexico's Pemex and Brazil's Petrobras have formed a partnership to drill prospects in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico's coast. The companies are targeting source rock formations described as miles deeper and eight times...

🌅Afternoon Wire·Aug 23
North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July

North Dakota's active drilling rig count held steady at 34 on Sunday, with no rigs added, removed, or moved in the past 24 hours, according to live Bakken Wire data. The current count represents a two-rig increase from one week ago and a ten-rig jump from the 24 rigs active one month ago on July 24, 2026. The stability at a higher level follows a period of significant growth, underscoring increased operator confidence. According to a recent state briefing, the count had reached 33 rigs earlier in the week, up from 26 in mid-July. Nathan Anderson, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, highlighted the importance of this expansion during an Aug. 20 media briefing, Yahoo Finance reported. "We have seven additional rigs in the basin this month that we didn't have just 30 days ago, and that's important," Anderson said. The recent rig count increase has been...

☀️Morning Wire·Aug 23
North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34 as Multi-Week Expansion Continues - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34 as Multi-Week Expansion Continues

North Dakota's active drilling rig count held steady at 34 on Saturday, August 22, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The count showed no daily change, with zero new rigs added, zero rigs removed, and no rigs moving location. Despite the static daily figure, the current activity level represents a sustained multi-week expansion in the Williston Basin. The rig count is up by two from the 32 rigs active one week ago on August 15, and has risen by nine rigs, or over 36%, from the 25 rigs operating one month ago on July 23. The broader uptick in drilling coincides with an improvement in the state's oil production, according to a recent report. A source from Bing News, published August 20, noted that North Dakota's oil production numbers continue to improve amid higher oil prices resulting from an ongoing U.S. war with Iran. The state relies heavily on...

🌅Afternoon Wire·Aug 22