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BAKKEN WIRE
North Dakota Bakken Rig Count Holds at 34 Despite Daily Churn - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Bakken Rig Count Holds at 34 Despite Daily Churn

One rig added in Dunn County and one removed in McKenzie County as the state's drilling activity remains stable against a backdrop of modest U.S. growth.

Bakken Wire Staff·🌅Afternoon Wire·

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota's Bakken formation remained at 34 on Friday, October 9, according to live Bakken Wire data. The total held steady despite daily activity that saw one rig added and one removed.

Henry Hill Oil Services, LLC added the T&S Drilling 3 rig in Dunn County (section 146-92-24). The rig removed was the NABORS X8, operated by Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP in McKenzie County (151-96-7). No rigs were reported to have moved locations.

This stability extends over recent weeks. The state's rig count was also 34 one week ago on October 2 and one month ago on September 9, indicating a prolonged period of equilibrium in drilling activity.

The local steadiness contrasts with a slight upward trend in the national rig count. According to data from Baker Hughes published Friday and reported by OilPrice.com, the total number of active drilling rigs across the United States rose to 603. This represents an increase of 56 rigs compared to the same time last year.

The national increase was driven by oil-directed drilling. OilPrice.com reported the number of active oil rigs rose by 6 this week to 462, which is 44 more than last year. The number of gas rigs fell by 1 to 132. The Permian Basin, the nation's most active play, saw its count rise by 4 rigs to 274.

Supporting the increased drilling activity, well completion crews are also on the rise. Primary Vision’s Frac Spread Count, an estimate of crews completing wells, gained for the fourth consecutive week, reaching 196 for the week ending October 2, according to the OilPrice.com report.

U.S. crude oil production has also seen a recent weekly increase. Data from the Energy Information Administration showed production averaged 13.979 million barrels per day for the week ending October 2, up from 13.955 million bpd the prior week and 350,000 bpd higher than a year ago.

Oil prices were trading lower on Friday. Brent crude was at $103.80 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate was at $91.29, according to the OilPrice.com report.

The Bakken's consistent rig count suggests operators in the Williston Basin are maintaining a focused drilling program amid the broader national expansion, with activity concentrated in core counties like Dunn and McKenzie.

Source

Bakken Wire live rig data, OilPrice.com

rig countdrillingbakkennorth dakotahenry hill oil servicesburlington resourcesdunn countymckenzie countyproduction

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