North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 33 Amid Daily Turnover

North Dakota's active drilling rig count remained at 33 on Thursday, September 17, 2026, according to live rig data from Bakken Wire. The figure represents a net change of zero from Wednesday, masking a day of underlying activity that saw one new rig added, one rig released, and one rig moved to a new location.

The sole new rig addition was from XTO Energy Inc., which spud the H & P 429 rig at location 153-96-3 in McKenzie County. The county is the core of the Bakken formation and typically hosts the majority of the state's drilling activity.

The rig removed from the count was the PATTERSON 264, operated by Phoenix Operating LLC. It had been working at 162-95-28 in Divide County before being released. In a separate move, Koda Resources Operating, LLC relocated its STONEHAM 16 rig to a new site within Divide County at location 161-101-31.

The current rig count of 33 shows a slight decline in recent activity. The count is down by two rigs from the 35 active rigs reported one week ago on September 10, 2026. Compared to one month ago on August 18, 2026, when 34 rigs were active, the count is down by one.

The steady count near the low-to-mid 30s reflects a period of stability for Bakken drilling operations, with operators carefully managing capital programs. Rig counts are a leading indicator of future oil production, and a level in the low 30s suggests a maintenance mode for output from the nation's third-largest oil-producing state.

Day-to-day rig movements, such as the addition by XTO—a subsidiary of ExxonMobil—and the relocation by a private operator like Koda Resources, are routine as companies complete existing wells and mobilize equipment to new drilling sites. The continued focus on McKenzie County underscores its status as the most prolific and economic area within the Williston Basin.

The modest pullback from levels seen earlier in the month will be monitored by market watchers for signs of a broader trend, though single-week fluctuations are common. The overall stability near current levels indicates that major operators are maintaining, but not aggressively expanding, their drilling footprints amid prevailing commodity prices and operational efficiencies.