North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 27 Amid High Price Environment

North Dakota's active drilling rig count held steady at 27 on Tuesday, with no changes reported since the previous day, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The current level represents an increase of six rigs from one week ago and four rigs from one month ago.

The stability in the drilling fleet comes as the state's oil industry experiences a significant uplift from higher global crude prices. According to a recent state briefing reported by Yahoo News, the price environment has shifted dramatically since early 2026. In January, Continental Resources founder Harold Hamm announced a pause on new drilling due to low prices, marking the first time in 30 years the company wasn't drilling in the state. At that time, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were around $60 per barrel.

By late May, the landscape had changed. Assistant Director of the Oil and Gas Division Mark Bohrer reported that the WTI price was $101.02 per barrel on May 22. He stated that companies are taking advantage of the higher oil prices, which are linked to the U.S. war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. North Dakota's own market price for oil jumped to $84.33 per barrel in March from $57.74 in February.

The higher prices are reflected in production metrics. Data from the state's May 22 "Director's Cut" briefing, which reports figures with a two-month lag, showed North Dakota produced 35.4 million barrels in March, or 1.142 million barrels per day. This was a nearly 1% increase from February. A key distinction for March was that the number of producing wells reached a record high of 19,639, up 224 from the previous month.

The current rig count of 27 is above the figure of 25 mentioned during that state briefing just days ago, indicating recent additions. Furthermore, Harold Hamm announced on May 21 that Continental Resources will resume drilling new rigs in North Dakota. The broader North American rig market is also active, with Rigzone reporting that the continent added 21 rigs week on week as of May 25, according to Baker Hughes data.

The state has a vital interest in sustaining production, as it relies heavily on tax revenues from oil and gas to fund infrastructure. The March production figure of 1.142 million barrels per day was about 1% below the state revenue forecast of 1.15 million barrels per day.