North Dakota rigs hold at 33 with one relocation

North Dakota's active rig count held at 33 on Wednesday, with one rig relocation as the only movement reported in the day's data, according to Bakken Wire live rig data.

The report showed no new rigs added and no rigs removed since the previous day. The single relocation involved Petro-Hunt, L.L.C., which moved the STONEHAM 18 rig to location 143-98-10 in Billings County.

The flat daily count sits against a weaker recent trend. Active rigs in North Dakota totaled 39 on Nov. 4, one week ago, leaving the current count down six rigs over that period. Compared with one month earlier, on Oct. 12, when 36 rigs were active, the current fleet is three rigs smaller.

For Bakken operators, the weekly decline points to a smaller active drilling base than early November, while the monthly comparison shows a more moderate contraction. In the Williston Basin, where North Dakota's Bakken formation is the primary oil-producing region, rig counts are often used as a leading indicator of near-term well development, completion work and operator capital deployment.

The Petro-Hunt relocation places the STONEHAM 18 rig in Billings County. Relocations can shift activity toward different operators, service providers and royalty owners, although the rig data did not include further details about the move.

No rigs entered or exited the active fleet during the reporting period, leaving the net daily change at zero. The relocation changed the rig's location but not the number of active rigs in North Dakota.

The current count underscores how quickly rig activity can move across the basin. A weekly decline of six rigs is larger than the three-rig monthly decline, indicating that the past seven days accounted for more of the reduction than the broader four-week period. The data does not identify the reasons for the weekly change.

For royalty owners, a lower active rig count can indicate less immediate drilling activity in the field, but production outcomes depend on many variables beyond the rig count. In the Bakken, operators typically develop tight oil reservoirs through horizontal drilling and multistage completions, and production can also be affected by maintenance, workovers, weather, infrastructure access and individual operator spending choices.

Bakken Wire will continue to track daily rig additions, removals and relocations across North Dakota. The latest figures provide a snapshot of active rig locations in North Dakota as of Nov. 11.