North Dakota Rig Count Falls to 22, Down Two This Week

The active rig count in North Dakota fell to 22 on Friday, May 15, 2026, down two units from the previous day, according to live rig data from Bakken Wire.

Two rigs were released from service, both located in Mountrail County. Silver Hill Energy Operating, LLC released the NABORS B27 rig from location 158-94-35. OASIS PETROLEUM NORTH AMERICA LLC released the NOBLE 4 rig from location 157-93-13. No rigs were reported moving to new locations.

The current count of 22 active rigs represents a net decrease of one unit compared to one week ago, on May 8, 2026, when the state had 23 rigs running. However, drilling activity in the state remains higher than a month ago, up three rigs from the 19 units active on April 15, 2026.

The state's slight weekly decline contrasts with a modest increase in national drilling activity. According to Baker Hughes's weekly rotary rig count for the week ended May 15, the US rig count increased by 3 units to reach 551 rigs running, Bing News reported. The national gains were driven by oil-directed rigs, which rose by 5 to 415.

Texas led the nation with a five-rig gain, while New Mexico, a key Permian Basin state, added one rig to reach 96 active units. On a year-over-year basis, however, the US count is down 25 units from the 576 rigs working at this time last year, according to the Bing News report.

Horizontal drilling continues to dominate US activity, with 484 rigs running, an increase of three from the previous week. In North Dakota's Bakken formation, horizontal drilling is the standard completion technique.

While the US land rig count advanced by 4 units to 531, offshore drilling declined by one rig. Canada's overall rig count held steady at 124 units for the week, Bing News reported.

The recent movements in North Dakota's rig count reflect the ongoing, measured pace of drilling activity in the Williston Basin, as operators balance capital discipline with maintaining production from the prolific Bakken shale formation.