North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 23 for Third Straight Week

North Dakota's active drilling rig count remained unchanged at 23 on Saturday, May 2, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The count showed no new additions, removals, or location changes from the previous day.

This marks the third consecutive week of stability for the state's primary oil-producing region. The rig count has held steady at 23 since at least April 25, and is identical to the level reported a month ago on April 2.

The static local activity contrasts with a modest uptick in national drilling. According to a report from OilPrice.com, the total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States rose this week. Baker Hughes data published on May 1 showed the national count at 547, though this remains 37 rigs below the level seen at the same time last year.

The national increase was driven by a gain of one oil rig, bringing the U.S. oil rig count to 408. This figure is still 64 rigs below the year-ago tally. Gas rig activity also increased, according to the source.

The Permian Basin, the nation's most active play, saw its rig count fall by one to 241, which is 46 rigs under year-ago levels. The Eagle Ford basin in Texas added one rig, reaching a total of 43.

The stability in Bakken rigs coincides with a volatile oil price environment. OilPrice.com reported that prices were down on May 1, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) trading at $101.90 per barrel. The market was reacting to hopes of a deal with Iran that would restore oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the daily drop, WTI was up roughly $8 per barrel week-over-week.

U.S. crude oil production averaged 13.586 million barrels per day for the week ending April 24, according to the latest Energy Information Administration data cited in the report. This level is 276,000 bpd under the all-time high and was relatively unchanged from the prior period.

Another indicator of completion activity, Primary Vision’s Frac Spread Count, rose by four to 169 crews for the week ending April 24. This suggests that while the number of rigs drilling new wells is stable, the pace of finishing drilled wells may be increasing.

The sustained rig level in the Bakken suggests operators are maintaining a disciplined capital program despite fluctuating prices. The count remains significantly lower than the peaks seen in previous boom cycles, reflecting a continued industry focus on capital efficiency and returns to shareholders over aggressive production growth.