U.S. independent Hess Corp. said Wednesday it was moving forward with plans to ramp up drilling activity in the Bakken Shale amid continued commodity price strength.

Hess production

Hess plans to add a third rig in the Bakken in September, something it previously said it would consider if oil prices continued to improve.

“We have been operating two rigs since February, but given the improvement in oil prices and our robust inventory of high return drilling locations, we plan to add a third rig in September,” COO Greg Hill said on the 2Q2021 earnings call. “Moving to a three-rig program will allow us to grow cash flow and production, better optimize our in-basin infrastructure and drive further reductions in our unit cash costs.”

The third rig is expected to boost the company’s well...