North Dakota Rig Count Rises to 22 with Three New Additions

North Dakota's active drilling rig count increased by three to 22 on Thursday, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The new activity marks a rebound from 24 rigs one week ago and 23 rigs fifteen days prior.

Three operators brought new rigs online, all within the core Bakken counties. Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP deployed the NABORS X8 rig in McKenzie County. In Williams County, Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC spudded a well using the NABORS X27, and XTO Energy Inc. started drilling with the NOBLE 2 rig. No rigs were removed or moved locations in the last 24 hours.

The uptick in drilling activity coincides with a major federal infrastructure approval for the region. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump granted a presidential permit to Bakken Pipeline Company LP, a subsidiary of Enbridge, to construct and operate new pipeline facilities at the U.S.-Canada border in Burke County, North Dakota, according to a White House memo and reporting by Bing News.

The permit is a concrete step to enhance crude oil transportation between the two nations and anchors Enbridge's broader expansion strategy. The company has committed US$1.4 billion to its Mainline Optimization project, which aims to add 150,000 barrels per day of capacity on its cross-Canada system feeding the U.S. Midwest, with another 100,000 barrels per day slated for the Flanagan South line to the Gulf Coast, as reported by The Deep Dive.

Furthermore, Enbridge has outlined a potential second phase that could utilize the existing Dakota Access Pipeline to add another 250,000 barrels per day of capacity from North Dakota to Illinois by 2028. These expansions are designed to move an additional 500,000 barrels per day over the next few years, reshaping North American supply dynamics.

The new pipeline access and future capacity increases provide a tangible market outlet for Bakken production, a key factor for operators considering capital allocation and drilling plans. The recent rig additions by Hess, XTO, and Burlington Resources suggest some operators are positioning to leverage improved midstream infrastructure.

The Alberta government has also formed a working group with Enbridge to explore further pipeline capacity increases to the U.S. market, signaling continued cross-border collaboration on energy trade. For North Dakota producers and royalty owners, the combination of near-term rig activity and long-term takeaway capacity approvals points to a stabilizing operational environment focused on core areas like Williams and McKenzie counties.