Update: Active Rigs by Operator -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

CONTINENTAL RESOURCES	20
WHITING OIL AND GAS CORP	14
EOG RESOURCES INC	13
HESS CORPORATION	10
BRIGHAM OIL & GAS LP	7
MARATHON OIL CO	6
OASIS PETRO NO AMER	6
ANSCHUTZ EXPL CORP	5
BURLINGTON RES O&G CO	5
NEWFIELD PROD CO	5
PETRO HUNT LLC	5
SLAWSON EXPLORATION	5
XTO ENERGY INC	5
AMERICAN OIL & GAS INC	4
ENCORE OPERATING LP	3
SAMSON RESOURCES CO	3
TRACKER RES DEVMNT	3
ZENERGY OPERATING CO LLC	3
BAYTEX ENERGY USA LTD	2
CIRQUE RESOURCES LC	2
HUNT OIL COMPANY	2
KODIAK OIL & GAS (USA) INC	2
MUREX PETROLEUM CORP	2
NORTH PLAINS ENERGY LLC	2
QEP ENERGY CO	2
SINCLAIR OIL & GAS CO	2
SM ENERGY CO	2
ABRAXAS PETROLM CORP.	1
BALLANTYNE OIL, LLC	1
BTA OIL PRODUCERS LLC	1
ENERPLUS RES USA CORP	1
FIDELITY EXPL & PROD CO	1
G3 OPERATING LLC	1
HALEK OPERATING ND	1
HELIS OIL & GAS CO. LLC	1
LUFF EXPLORATION CO	1
OIL FOR AMERICA	1
PEAK NO DAK LLC	1
PRIMA EXPLORATION INC	1
RITCHIE EXPLORATION INC	1
SAGEBRUSH RESOURCES LLC	1
ZAVANNA LLC	1
ZENERGY INC	1

Table provided by Rory.

Total: 156

Comments:

1. When one looks at the disparity between the number of rigs operated by CLR and the number of rigs operated by BR, a subsidiary of COP, one wonders if, at least in come cases, the number of rigs corresponds directly to number of acres controlled by a particular operator.

2. Note Oasis, which recently went public: how many rigs it has -- 6. Oasis has as many rigs as Marathon, a much larger company, and one one rig less than BEXP, a huge North Dakota Bakken player. It is amazing, at least to me, how fast Oasis has moved. Fidelity still has only one rig. Both of Kodiak's rigs are back in North Dakota. KOG had said that one rig would be in Montana at times, but it appears that prospects right now are better in the reservation and that's where their two rigs are.

3. I understand why some "mom and pop" operations might have only one rig, but I wonder why some well-capitalized companies have only one or two rigs. It suggests that their acreage is limited; it also suggests where consolidation in the Bakken might come.

4. Most interesting: Zenergy had five (5) rigs in July, 2010; now Zenergy has one (1). Are they in Montana; or just down for the moment? [Or did I have a typo in July regarding Zenergy?] From July, 2010, Sagebrush is also down 2. Samson is up to 3, from only one in July, 2010. There are one or two other drillers that had one more rig in July, suggesting that active number of rigs can rise a bit more than 156 depending on schedules.