The U.S. rig count rose by 3 to 551 in the week ended May 15, 2026, the third consecutive weekly increase, according to the Baker Hughes North America Rig Count released Friday afternoon. Oil rigs gained 5 to 415, gas rigs slipped 1 to 128, and miscellaneous rigs declined 1 to 8. The total is down 25 rigs from a year-ago count of 576.

The Permian Basin added 1 rig on the week and remains the dominant U.S. play, accounting for roughly 44% of total U.S. drilling activity. Five other regions saw declines: the Cana Woodford fell 1 to 19, the DJ-Niobrara fell 1 to 8, the Eagle Ford fell 1 to 42, the Haynesville fell 1 to 56, and the Marcellus fell 1 to 24. All other regions saw no net change.

Canada was unchanged on the week at 124 active rigs. The combined North America count rose 3 to 675. Worldwide, the international count released earlier this month showed activity at 1,042 rigs for April, with Middle East drilling reduced by Iranian attacks across Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain.

U.S. crude production sits at 13.573 million barrels per day, just 289,000 bpd below the all-time national production record — despite oil-directed rig counts running 57 below year-ago levels. The divergence reflects the productivity gains the U.S. shale sector has accumulated since the 2014-2015 boom: longer laterals, faster drill cycles, and more efficient completion crews mean fewer rigs are required to sustain a given level of output.

Operators are continuing to favor capital discipline over aggressive volume growth, even with WTI trading above $105 per barrel. Diamondback Energy and ConocoPhillips have both signaled in recent earnings commentary that drilling expansion is more likely in 2027 than in the near term, with current programs focused on inventory optimization and free-cash-flow generation.

The natural gas side tells a different story. Gas-directed rigs are up 21 year-over-year, reflecting the structural pull from rising LNG export capacity on the U.S. Gulf Coast and tight global gas supply conditions that the IEA projects to persist through 2030. Gas drilling economics have been relatively insulated from short-term crude price volatility.

Continuing coverage: Rig Count · Oil Prices · Crude Oil.