Energy News Beat Weekly Rig Report – Comparing Baker Hughes, Enverus and WellDatabase for the Overall Market View

U.S. drilling activity remains firmly elevated on a year-over-year basis even as weekly moves stay modest. Baker Hughes’ traditional rotary count printed 604 active U.S. rigs for the week ending November 6, 2026 (up 1 week-over-week and up 56 from a year earlier). Oil-directed rigs reached 463 (+1) and gas-directed rigs 131 (+1). WellDatabase’s operator-level U.S. Rig Report dated 11.7.2026 showed 607 total rigs (down 2 on the week, up 55 year-over-year), with oil at 436 (+2 WoW, +50 YoY) and gas at 127 (+1, essentially flat YoY). Enverus’ GPS-tracked Daily Rig Count, which captures a broader active fleet in near-real time, has continued to run higher—last public snapshots in late October hovered near 645 after a roughly 3% weekly dip, with earlier October readings in the mid-650s to low-660s.⁠Petroeyes⁠Oilandgas360

The three sources use different methodologies and therefore produce different absolute numbers while describing the same underlying trend: solid year-over-year growth concentrated in oil-weighted basins, modest weekly volatility, and continued dominance by the Permian. Baker Hughes remains the market’s standard weekly rotary census (land, inland waters, and offshore). WellDatabase cross-references that census with permits and operator detail for granular state, basin, well-type, wellbore, and depth breakdowns. Enverus tracks a larger share of the fleet daily via GPS, which structurally produces a higher headline count.⁠Energynewsbeat

State and Basin Comparison

Baker Hughes and WellDatabase align closely on the major states and basins this week:

• Texas: 277 rigs (WellDatabase +2; Baker Hughes reports also show Texas near 277).
• New Mexico: 101 (WellDatabase +2).
• Oklahoma: 50 (flat).
• Louisiana: 38 (WellDatabase –3).
• North Dakota: WellDatabase 34 (–4); Baker Hughes Williston around 35 (–1).

Key basins (WellDatabase / Baker Hughes):

• Permian: 273 (+1 both sources, +22 year-over-year). Still by far the largest, accounting for roughly 45% of U.S. activity.
• Haynesville: 56 (+1, +15 YoY)—the clearest gas-growth area.
• Eagle Ford: 50 (flat).
• Williston: 38 on WellDatabase (–4) / ~35 on Baker Hughes (–1).
• Granite Wash: 23 (+1).
• Marcellus: 23 (flat).
• Cana Woodford: 18 (flat).
• Other / residual categories remain sizable on both tapes.⁠

WellDatabase’s top operators this week include Unknown (36), Devon Energy (21), Continental Resources (19), Diamondback Energy (19), EOG Resources (17), and Pioneer Natural Resources (17). Horizontal wells dominate at 503 (+3), with oil wells at 436. Depth distribution continues to favor the 10k–15k ft and deeper categories.

Enverus public basin snapshots from late October showed the Permian in the mid-240s on some daily reads (with “Other” capturing a large residual), Williston near the mid-30s, and strength in Anadarko/Gulf Coast areas—consistent with the higher overall total driven by private operators and broader fleet coverage. Private operators have accounted for the bulk of recent rig additions in Enverus analyses.⁠Energynewsbeat

SPR, Distillate Inventories, and Cushing

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to multi-decade lows. EIA data show the SPR at 282.2 million barrels for the week ending October 30, 2026—down roughly 133 million barrels from the February 2026 peak of 415.4 million and the lowest level since the early 1980s fill period. The drawdown accelerated after early 2026 geopolitical disruptions affecting the Strait of Hormuz; much of the release has been structured as exchanges/loans rather than permanent sales, with repayment expected over subsequent years. Authorized capacity remains ~714 million barrels, so the reserve is roughly 40% full.⁠Eco3min