The US rig count increased by eight in the last week to 430 according to the latest report from Enverus Rig Analytics.
It also showed Oklahoma City’s Continental Resources increased its numbers in the Williston from two to three rigs. Enverus said Continental had been operating only two rigs since May 2020.
The Williston saw a rig increase of three in the past week to reach 15 rigs operating in North Dakota, South Dakota and eastern Montana.
The national rig count rose 12% over the past month but remains 47% lower than a year ago.
The biggest increase happened in the Permian Basin where the count grew by seven to 192.
In the Permian, Chevron has accelerated to a six-rig program after averaging five in January. NGP Partners-backed Tap Rock Operating ramped up to five rigs at the beginning of February after averaging four rigs for the last three months. Founded in 2016, Tap Rock has never run this many rigs, all of which are on federal land in Lea County, New Mexico.
Apache dusted off a Permian drilling program that had been dormant for eight months by mobilizing a rig in Upton County, Texas. And after a nine-month drilling freeze, Battalion Oil is running a rig in Ward County, Texas.