North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 23, Focus Shifts to Major EOR Initiative

The number of rigs actively drilling for oil and gas in North Dakota remained unchanged Saturday at 23, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The count showed no new rigs added, removed, or moved location since Friday.

This stability extends the pattern from one week ago, when the state also reported 23 active rigs. However, activity is down slightly from one month prior, when 24 rigs were operating on April 9.

The steady rig count comes as a major technological and financial push for the Bakken's future was unveiled. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing $36 million to advance carbon dioxide-based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in the shale play through a program led by the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center, according to a DOE release on May 8.

The broader initiative, as reported by multiple news sources, represents a total investment of approximately $157 million. The DOE's $36 million investment is part of this larger funding package, which includes $9 million in cost-share from the University and about $100 million from state and private sources for additional pilot projects.

The program, dubbed Bakken Enhanced Oil Recovery–Cracking the Code (Bakken EOR-CC), aims to address the fact that unconventional formations like the Bakken typically recover only about 10% of the oil in place. The effort will combine laboratory research, reservoir modeling, artificial intelligence, and field work across six pilot projects to evaluate EOR strategies.

DOE Assistant Secretary Kyle Haustveit stated the program is "essential to maximize the full potential of our valuable hydrocarbon resources in the Bakken," according to the DOE release. The goal is to establish a technical foundation for the broad commercial deployment of enhanced recovery, which could unlock billions of additional barrels of oil.

North Dakota leaders separately unveiled the enhanced oil recovery initiative aimed at getting more oil out of the Bakken, using CO₂, according to a summary of state announcements. Officials have stated a goal of doubling output from current recovery rates.

The integrated pilot effort will use AI and machine-learning tools to analyze performance data, aiming to identify best practices and accelerate wider technology adoption across the Bakken and similar unconventional reservoirs. The DOE said the program could also extend the life of the state's coal-fired power plants by utilizing their captured CO2 for oil recovery operations.

For Bakken operators, the focus on enhancing recovery from existing wells may represent a strategic complement to traditional drilling as the rig count holds in a narrow range. The research initiative seeks to build the technical basis needed to make large-scale EOR commercially viable in the play.