North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 27, One Rig Moves Location

North Dakota's active drilling rig count remained unchanged at 27 for Thursday, June 11, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The state saw no new rigs added and none released over the past 24 hours, but one rig did change location.

The sole rig move reported was by operator XTO Energy Inc. Its rig, H & P 429, was moved to a new location in Williams County: 154-96-10. Williams County is a core area of the Bakken formation and a consistent focus of drilling activity.

The current stability in the rig count follows a week of no movement. The active rig count one week ago, on June 4, was also 27, indicating a brief plateau in drilling activity. However, the longer-term trend shows a notable increase. Compared to one month ago, on May 12, when the state had 23 active rigs, the current count is up by four rigs, representing a 17% increase.

A rig count of 27 reflects a sustained, moderate level of drilling operations in the Williston Basin. The count is a key leading indicator for future oil production in the Bakken, North Dakota's primary oil-producing region. The month-over-month gain suggests operators have been cautiously adding drilling capacity, potentially in response to stable or favorable oil price conditions.

The movement of a single rig by a major operator like XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, is a routine operational adjustment. Such moves are typically made to drill a new well on a different pad or to complete a multi-well drilling program at a specific site. The focus on Williams County underscores its continued importance as a high-productivity area for Bakken shale development.

With no net change day-over-day, the immediate drilling pace is in a holding pattern. Analysts and royalty owners monitor these figures closely, as sustained rig activity is necessary to offset the steep decline rates typical of shale wells and maintain overall production levels. The month-long increase, however, provides a positive signal for service companies and the local economy, suggesting a measured uptick in drilling-related jobs and expenditure.

The next moves in the rig count will depend on individual operator budgets, hedging strategies, and their views on long-term oil price trajectories. For now, the Bakken's drilling footprint remains steady, anchored by activity in its most prolific counties.