North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 39 With No Daily Change

North Dakota’s active rig count stood at 39 on Thursday, according to live rig data. The count did not change from the prior day. No new rigs were added, no rigs were removed, and no rigs were reported moving to a new location.

The flat daily reading leaves the state’s rig fleet unchanged for at least a week. The active count was also 39 one week ago, on Oct. 29, 2026, according to historical rig data. That means the Bakken’s drilling fleet has held the same number of active rigs through the past seven-day period.

The longer trend is higher. A month ago, on Oct. 6, 2026, North Dakota had 36 active rigs. The current count is up three rigs from that level, indicating a modest increase in drilling activity over the past month. The increase, however, has not continued in the latest week, with the count stabilizing at 39.

For Bakken operators, the unchanged daily count means the number of active rigs recorded in the data did not expand or contract from the prior day. In a basin where rig counts can move as operators mobilize crews, complete wells or idle equipment, the absence of additions, removals or moves suggests a period of operational pause in the day-to-day rig ledger. It does not mean drilling is inactive; rather, the number of rigs counted as active remained the same between the latest daily readings.

For royalty owners and local oil-and-gas service providers, a stable 39-rig count offers a less volatile picture than a sudden rise or drop. The Bakken formation is North Dakota’s primary oil-producing region, and rig activity is often viewed as an early indicator of future well completions, production growth and field service demand. The pattern shows a short-term increase followed by stabilization: up three rigs from a month ago, but unchanged over the past week.

The Williston Basin context also matters. North Dakota’s rig count is commonly used as a proxy for activity in the basin’s major producing areas, including Dunn, Williams, McKenzie and Mountrail counties. The source data provided here does not break down the 39 rigs by county, operator or rig type. The statewide count shows that active drilling rigs have not been reduced from the prior day or the prior week.

The monthly change remains the most notable trend. Compared with Oct. 6, North Dakota’s active rig count is 8.3% higher. That calculation is based on the source figures: 39 current active rigs versus 36 a month ago. The week-over-week change is zero, based on 39 rigs on Oct. 29 and 39 rigs on Nov. 5.

No day-over-day rig movements were recorded in the live data. The count is therefore unchanged from yesterday and unchanged from one week ago, but up three rigs from one month ago.