ND Drilling Rig Count Holds at 34 Amid Production Upswing

North Dakota's active drilling rig count held steady at 34 on Friday, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The count showed no change from the previous day, with no new rigs added, removed, or moved.

The current level represents a significant increase from recent historical activity. One week ago, on August 14, the state's rig count was 32. The count has surged by 10 rigs compared to one month ago, when only 24 rigs were active in the state on July 22.

This sustained high level of drilling activity coincides with rising production and favorable oil prices. According to a report from Bing News, North Dakota Mineral Resources Director Nathan Anderson, during an August 20 briefing, highlighted a recent jump in rigs. He noted the state had 33 drilling rigs in operation as of last week, compared to 26 rigs in mid-July. "We have seven additional rigs in the basin this month that we didn't have just 30 days ago, and that's important," Anderson was quoted as saying.

The state's oil production data also showed improvement. Anderson reported that North Dakota produced an average of 1.153 million barrels per day in June, a near 2.5% increase from May's 1.125 million barrels per day. The production level was 0.24% above the state's revenue forecast.

Strong oil prices are underpinning the increased activity. During the August 20 briefing, West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures were at $86.60 per barrel. The North Dakota market oil price for June was $80.56 per barrel. Anderson noted that break-even prices in the state range from $50-$60 a barrel in WTI prices. "The June number is approximately 36.5% above revenue forecast," Anderson said of the market price, according to the source. The state's revenue forecast is based on a $59 per barrel price.

The recent rig increase has also brought new operators to the Bakken. The Bing News report, citing state data, listed five rig operators that are new to North Dakota as of last week: Eben Operating, Firebird Services, Iron Oil Operating, Murex Petroleum and Zavanna Energy Operating. Each now has one operating rig in the state after having none in July.

Director Anderson stated that the new rigs should help drive oil production, permitting trends, and the number of well completions. A completion is the final step in making a drilled oil well ready to safely produce oil and gas.

In broader industry news, data analytics firm Enverus released its latest rankings of the most active U.S. land drilling contractors and drilling customers for the first quarter of 2026, according to a summary from Rigzone.