Baker Hughes counted 267 rigs drilling in the Permian Basin for the week of Aug. 21, up 2 from the week before, and 281 rigs in Texas, up 4. Both marks extended a fourth straight weekly increase for the two.
Permian and Texas lead the gains
The Permian Basin count is up 12 rigs, or 4.71%, from 255 a year ago, and is the highest count for the region since June 2025. Texas rigs are up 41, or 17.08%, from 240 a year ago, the highest since March 2025. Texas's weekly gain of 4 rigs was the largest of any major producing state.
National count slips
The US rig count stood at 588, down 5 for the week but up 50, or 9.29%, from 538 a year ago. Both oil-directed and gas-directed counts in the US declined for the week. New Mexico's count fell 3 to 96, up 1 from 95 a year earlier.
Other states and plays
Oklahoma ranked third among states with 51 rigs, followed by Louisiana with 35, down 3 for the week, and North Dakota with 24. Among plays, Haynesville was the runner-up region with 57 rigs, down 2, followed by Eagle Ford in south Texas with 50, up 1, Williston with 27, and Marcellus with 24.
| Region/state | Rigs | Weekly change | Year-ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permian Basin | 267 | +2 | 255 |
| Texas | 281 | +4 | 240 |
| New Mexico | 96 | -3 | 95 |
| US total | 588 | -5 | 538 |
For reference, Baker Hughes counted 562 rigs nationwide as of June 15. WTI crude traded at $84.65 a barrel and Henry Hub gas at $3.06 per MMBtu that day, according to the EIA.
