North Dakota oil rig count tops 100 for first time in 2 decades

North Dakota oil rig count tops 100

BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota Petroleum Council says the number of rigs piercing North Dakota’s oil patch has topped 100 for the first time in nearly three decades.

Council President Ron Ness says 101 rigs were drilling in western North Dakota’s oil patch on Wednesday. He says it’s the first time since 1982 that the number of rigs in the state has hit the three-digit mark.

Ness says advanced horizontal drilling techniques are more efficient today. He says one drill rig can do the work of up to eight rigs in the 1980s.

The number of rigs in North Dakota dropped to about 30 last year but has rebounded with the price of crude.