US Rig Count Hits Highest Level Since June 2025; Gazprom Starts Siberian Project

The number of active oil and gas rigs in the United States increased by seven to 558 last week, marking the fifth consecutive weekly gain and reaching its highest level since June 2025, according to a Baker Hughes report cited by Bing News. The report, published Friday, noted that oil rigs specifically jumped by ten, the largest single-week increase in four years.

This sustained rise in domestic drilling activity signals continued investment by operators amid current market conditions. For the Bakken formation, a key contributor to U.S. output, a higher national rig count generally reflects a supportive environment for production growth, though local counts can vary.

Separately, Russian state-controlled Gazprom has started production at the Chona fields in Eastern Siberia, Rigzone reported Monday. The company expects the project to feed up to 2 million tons of oil per year into the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline system. New production from major international projects like this can influence global supply balances, which indirectly affect the competitive position and pricing for Bakken crude exports.

On a local note, Bing News reported that an anniversary event related to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests is being planned. A ticketed festival and conference titled "People of the Sun" is scheduled for September 16–18 near Cannonball on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to mark ten years since the protests. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a key conduit for transporting Bakken oil to market.

These developments—rising U.S. drilling, new international production startup, and a planned commemorative event near a critical Bakken infrastructure site—represent the interconnected factors of supply, global competition, and local community relations that shape the operating environment in North Dakota's Williston Basin.