Highlights Rig count at 56, just shy of 19-month high IRRs at 49%, now highest in North America Denver — Drilling activity in the Bakken Shale has witnessed a steady expansion this summer on high oil prices and producer returns, but it now faces growing pains as the region struggles to process an increasing volume of associated gas. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now On Friday, rig count in the basin was estimated at 56, just one shy of the 19-month high seen on various occasions this summer, data published by Baker Hughes shows. An increase in Bakken drilling activity has accompanied a spectacular rise in producer returns there. In August, an average well in the play is now generating an internal rate of return, or IRR, of 49%, according to data from S&P Global Platts Well Economics Analyzer. In June, IRRs there […]