Cana Woodford Rig Count Rises
Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry showed signs of renewed activity this week. According to the latest Baker Hughes Rig Count, the Cana Woodford play added one active drilling rig, pushing its total to 19 rigs. The increase marks a small but encouraging gain for one of the state’s most active shale formations.
The Granite Wash, which stretches across western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, remained steady with 15 rigs operating. Meanwhile, the Ardmore Woodford and Arkoma Woodford each held at one rig, continuing their stable but minimal activity.
National Rig Trends Show Mixed Results
While Oklahoma’s count improved slightly, other major oil regions across the U.S. reported mixed results. The Permian Basin, the nation’s largest oil-producing region, dropped two rigs, leaving 251 still active across West Texas and Southeast New Mexico.
The Williston Basin, home to North Dakota’s Bakken formation, held steady with 29 rigs, while South Texas’s Eagle Ford remained unchanged at 45 rigs. The Haynesville Shale, straddling East Texas and Louisiana, also stayed flat at 39 rigs.
Other U.S. Plays Hold Steady or Decline
In the northeast, Marcellus Shale activity slipped by one rig to 23, and Utica stayed at 14. The Barnett Shale of North Texas continued to operate a single rig, while the once-active Mississippian formation in northern Oklahoma reported no drilling activity for another week.
These numbers reflect a broader stabilization across U.S. drilling activity, with most major regions maintaining their positions or seeing small adjustments in either direction.
A Glimpse at Oklahoma’s Energy Resilience
Despite national fluctuations, Oklahoma’s rig count uptick underscores the resilience of the state’s energy producers amid market volatility and shifting production strategies. The modest gain in the Cana Woodford suggests that operators remain cautiously optimistic heading into the final quarter of 2025.
