The Baker Hughes Rig Count
603 rigs are drilling in the US as of 2026-10-09 (+5 on the week) — the industry's oldest leading indicator of future production. US production currently runs 13.7 Mb/d. Here's how to read it, and why record output now comes from a fraction of the 2014 rig fleet.
Current Count
| Series | Rigs | Note |
|---|---|---|
| US total | 603 | as of 2026-10-09 · +5 WoW |
| — targeting oil | 462 | mostly Permian Basin |
| — targeting gas | 132 | Haynesville, Appalachia |
| Canada total | 222 | strongly seasonal (spring breakup) |
| 2014 US peak | ≈1,900 | for context — output is higher today on far fewer rigs |
Figures from the Baker Hughes North America Rig Count (curated here weekly). Where the rigs are: county-by-county rig map. Context: US oil production · weekly fundamentals.
US Rigs by State
Baker Hughes · week of Oct 9| State | Rigs | vs prior week | Oil | Gas | Share of US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 281 | +3 | 228 | 53 | 46.6% |
| New Mexico | 99 | +1 | 93 | 5 | 16.4% |
| Oklahoma | 51 | −1 | 51 | 0 | 8.5% |
| Louisiana | 38 | +2 | 10 | 27 | 6.3% |
| North Dakota | 31 | unchanged | 27 | 4 | 5.1% |
| Wyoming | 17 | unchanged | 15 | 2 | 2.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | unchanged | 0 | 15 | 2.5% |
| Utah | 15 | unchanged | 10 | 2 | 2.5% |
| Alaska | 12 | unchanged | 10 | 2 | 2.0% |
| Colorado | 12 | unchanged | 10 | 2 | 2.0% |
| Ohio | 9 | unchanged | 0 | 9 | 1.5% |
| West Virginia | 9 | unchanged | 0 | 9 | 1.5% |
| California | 6 | unchanged | 4 | 0 | 1.0% |
| Montana | 4 | unchanged | 3 | 1 | 0.7% |
| Nevada | 2 | unchanged | 1 | 0 | 0.3% |
| Michigan | 1 | unchanged | 0 | 1 | 0.2% |
| Oregon | 1 | unchanged | 0 | 0 | 0.2% |
Every US state with an active rig. Oil and gas columns are the rigs' drilling target and exclude a small number classed as miscellaneous. Each county on a map: rig map; output by state: oil production by state.
US Rigs by Basin
| Basin | Rigs | vs prior week | Share of US rigs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permian | 274 | +4 | 45.4% |
| Haynesville | 57 | +1 | 9.5% |
| Eagle Ford | 49 | unchanged | 8.1% |
| Williston | 35 | unchanged | 5.8% |
| Marcellus | 23 | unchanged | 3.8% |
| Granite Wash | 20 | unchanged | 3.3% |
| Cana Woodford | 19 | −1 | 3.2% |
| DJ-Niobrara | 10 | unchanged | 1.7% |
| Utica | 10 | unchanged | 1.7% |
| Ardmore Woodford | 2 | unchanged | 0.3% |
| Arkoma Woodford | 1 | unchanged | 0.2% |
| Barnett | 1 | unchanged | 0.2% |
Baker Hughes assigns each county to at most one named basin, so rigs outside the named plays are not listed. Basin output, rigs and operators side by side: US oil and gas basins.
Canada by Province
| Province | Rigs | vs prior week |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 158 | −3 |
| Saskatchewan | 43 | +6 |
| British Columbia | 14 | +2 |
| Manitoba | 4 | unchanged |
| Newfoundland & Labrador offshore | 3 | +1 |
Canadian counts are strongly seasonal because spring thaw ("breakup") closes roads; compare the same week in different years rather than adjacent weeks. Canadian output and exports: Canada oil profile.
Fewer Rigs, More Oil
| Measure | 2014 | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| US active rigs | ≈1,900 (peak) | 603 | −68% |
| US crude oil production | 8.8 Mb/d (annual avg) | 13.7 Mb/d (latest week) | +56% |
Rigs: Baker Hughes (the 2014 peak is approximate); production: EIA annual average for 2014 and the latest EIA weekly estimate. The two are not like-for-like in time (a peak week against an annual average and a weekly estimate), so read the direction, not the decimals. Why: longer horizontal wells, faster drilling and more fracking stages per well, covered on how fracking works.
Rig Count FAQ
What is the current US rig count?
Baker Hughes counts 603 active US rotary rigs as of 2026-10-09 — 462 drilling for oil, 132 for gas (+5 on the week). Canada adds 222 more. The count updates every Friday at noon Central.
Which state has the most oil and gas rigs?
Texas, with 281 of the 603 active US rigs (47%) in the Baker Hughes count for Oct 9, followed by New Mexico (99) and Oklahoma (51). The Permian Basin, which spans West Texas and New Mexico, alone has 274.
What does the rig count actually measure?
Rigs actively drilling new wells — not producing wells (a completed well needs no rig) and not frac crews. It's a measure of investment in FUTURE supply: rig moves today show up in production roughly 6–12 months later.
Why is production at record highs while the rig count is far below its peak?
Efficiency. Modern rigs drill longer laterals faster, and each well produces more. The 2014 peak was about 1,900 US rigs; today's fleet is a fraction of that while output is higher. That's why the rig-count trend matters more than the level, and why "flat rigs" no longer means "flat production."
When is the rig count released?
Every Friday around 1 p.m. Eastern by Baker Hughes, with US, Canada and international breakdowns by basin, state and oil-vs-gas target. It's free and has been published continuously since 1944, making it the industry's longest-running activity indicator.