North Dakota rig count holds at 37 after weekly gain

North Dakota's active drilling rig count stood at 37 on Sunday, according to the latest rig count data. The count was unchanged from the previous day, with no new rigs reported, no rigs removed and no rigs moving location since the prior day.

The steady day-over-day reading leaves the state at a higher baseline than it held a week earlier. One week ago, North Dakota had 36 active rigs, meaning the count has risen by one over the past seven days. The longer trend is more pronounced: one month ago, the state had 30 active rigs, a gain of seven rigs over the past four weeks.

The data show zero new rigs since the previous day, zero rigs removed and zero rigs that moved location. That means the day-over-day movement was entirely flat, even as the weekly and monthly comparisons show increases.

For Bakken operators, the unchanged Sunday count suggests the current fleet has not yet shifted again after the recent weekly addition. Rig counts are often watched as a near-term indicator of drilling intensity in North Dakota's oil fields. The Bakken formation is North Dakota's primary oil-producing region, and changes in rig activity can affect operators, service providers and landowners whose mineral interests are tied to well development.

The rig count update comes amid continued attention to the economic effects of Bakken drilling on landowners. On Oct. 23, Bing News reported that John Bartelson, a wheat farmer in North Dakota, began receiving royalty payments from two oil wells on his land. The report said the Bakken formation led to a significant financial shift for farmers in the region.

The royalty story highlights the local impact of drilling activity for mineral owners and landowners, even as rig counts provide a broader measure of operator activity. The Bing News report noted that mineral rights proved pivotal as oil royalties reshaped farm finances.

The latest rig data show no movement among active rigs on the day, but the weekly and monthly comparisons point to a gradually expanding drilling footprint in North Dakota. The state now has seven more active rigs than it did a month ago and one more than it did a week ago. The lack of relocations indicates no reported change in active rig placement on the day.

With no rigs added, removed or relocated since the previous day, the next reported movement will show whether the count changes again. The current count remains 37 active rigs, up from 36 a week ago and up from 30 a month ago.