WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
WTI Crude--
Brent Crude--
Natural Gas--
ND Rig Count--
BAKKEN WIRE
North Dakota Rig Count Rises to 25 - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Rises to 25

Hess adds a rig in McKenzie County, halting a recent decline in drilling activity.

Bakken Wire Staff·🌅Afternoon Wire·

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota increased by one to 25 on Thursday, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The addition marks a reversal after the state's rig count fell by one over the previous week.

The sole new rig added was deployed by Hess Bakken Investments II, LLC. The company started drilling with the Nabors x24 rig at location 149-100-33 in McKenzie County, the core of the Bakken formation.

Despite the daily gain, drilling activity remains below levels seen earlier in the summer. The current count of 25 rigs is down one from the 26 rigs active one week ago on July 16, 2026. The longer-term trend shows a more significant pullback, with the state's rig fleet down three from the 28 rigs reported one month ago on June 23.

The rig count is a key leading indicator of future oil production in the Bakken. Operators adjust their drilling pace in response to commodity prices, operational efficiency gains, and capital spending plans. The recent decline from 28 to 25 rigs over the past month suggests some operators have tempered their activity.

McKenzie County consistently hosts the majority of North Dakota's drilling rigs due to its high-density resource potential. Hess is a major operator in the region and its decision to add a rig will be closely watched by service companies and royalty owners for signals of sustained activity.

The overall trend of a moderated rig count aligns with a period where many public operators emphasize capital discipline and shareholder returns over pure volume growth. However, the day's increase shows that drilling continues selectively on high-graded locations.

Source

Bakken Wire Live Rig Data

rig countdrillinghessmckenzie countybakken

Share this article

PostShareShareEmail

Related Articles

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July

The number of active drilling rigs in North Dakota remained unchanged at 34 on Sunday, August 23, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The count showed no movement, with no new rigs added, removed, or relocated since Saturday. The current activity level represents a significant increase from recent lows. The rig count is up by two from the 32 rigs reported one week ago on August 16, and is up by ten from the 24 rigs active one month ago on July 24. While onshore shale activity in the Bakken holds steady, major international oil companies are pursuing high-risk, high-reward drilling projects in other basins. According to a report from OilPrice.com, Mexico's Pemex and Brazil's Petrobras have formed a partnership to drill prospects in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico's coast. The companies are targeting source rock formations described as miles deeper and eight times...

🌅Afternoon Wire·Aug 23
North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34, Up 10 from July

North Dakota's active drilling rig count held steady at 34 on Sunday, with no rigs added, removed, or moved in the past 24 hours, according to live Bakken Wire data. The current count represents a two-rig increase from one week ago and a ten-rig jump from the 24 rigs active one month ago on July 24, 2026. The stability at a higher level follows a period of significant growth, underscoring increased operator confidence. According to a recent state briefing, the count had reached 33 rigs earlier in the week, up from 26 in mid-July. Nathan Anderson, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, highlighted the importance of this expansion during an Aug. 20 media briefing, Yahoo Finance reported. "We have seven additional rigs in the basin this month that we didn't have just 30 days ago, and that's important," Anderson said. The recent rig count increase has been...

☀️Morning Wire·Aug 23
North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34 as Multi-Week Expansion Continues - Bakken Wire
Rig Report

North Dakota Rig Count Holds at 34 as Multi-Week Expansion Continues

North Dakota's active drilling rig count held steady at 34 on Saturday, August 22, according to live data from Bakken Wire. The count showed no daily change, with zero new rigs added, zero rigs removed, and no rigs moving location. Despite the static daily figure, the current activity level represents a sustained multi-week expansion in the Williston Basin. The rig count is up by two from the 32 rigs active one week ago on August 15, and has risen by nine rigs, or over 36%, from the 25 rigs operating one month ago on July 23. The broader uptick in drilling coincides with an improvement in the state's oil production, according to a recent report. A source from Bing News, published August 20, noted that North Dakota's oil production numbers continue to improve amid higher oil prices resulting from an ongoing U.S. war with Iran. The state relies heavily on...

🌅Afternoon Wire·Aug 22