US energy firms add rigs for first time in four weeks, Baker Hughes says

U.S. energy firms added rigs this week for the first time in four weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its report on Friday.

The total oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by three to 591 in the week to September 11, its highest since mid-August.

Baker Hughes said this week's increase puts the total rig count up 52 rigs, or 10%, above this time last year.

Baker Hughes said oil rigs rose by one to 450 this week, their highest since late August, while gas rigs rose by two to 132, their highest since late August, and other miscellaneous rigs held at nine.

In the Williston Shale in North Dakota and Montana, the rig count rose by five to 32, the highest since May 2025. That was also the biggest week-over-week gain in the Williston since October 2016.

In the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the rig count rose by one to 51, the highest since June 2024.

In California, the rig count fell by one to six, the lowest since August 2025.

In New Mexico, the rig count fell by three to 92, the lowest since July 2025.

In Texas, the rig count rose by one to 284, the highest since January 2025.

The oil and gas rig count declined by 7% in 2025, 5% in 2024 and 20% in 2023 as lower U.S. oil prices prompted energy firms to focus more on boosting shareholder returns and repaying debt rather than increasing output.

But with spot U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude prices expected to rise in 2026 for the first time in four years due to supply disruptions from the Iran war, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected crude output will increase from a record 13.7 million barrels per day in 2025 to 13.8 million bpd in 2026.

On the gas side, EIA projected output will jump from a record 107.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 to 111.7 bcfd in 2026 as demand for the fuel rises to produce electricity for power-hungry data centers and liquefied natural gas for export.