By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Jan. 6 -- US drilling activity continued to slip as the industry entered a new year, marking the second consecutive week of decline, down by 7 rotary rigs to 1,464 working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
That was up from 1,242 during the same period in 2005, which was the lowest weekly rig count for that year.
All of the latest loss was in land operations, which were down by 7 rigs with 1,365 still drilling. Offshore drilling was unchanged with 80 rotary rigs at work in US waters, including 75 in the Gulf of Mexico. There were 19 rigs working inland waters, also unchanged from the previous week.
Texas and Oklahoma led the latest decline, down by 5 rigs each to 667 and 149, respectively. New Mexico had 91 rigs working, 4 fewer than the previous week. Wyoming's rig count declined by 2 to 87, while Colorado was down by 1 to 83. Louisiana and Alaska were unchanged, at 165 and 10 rigs, respectively.
California registered the only increase among the major producing states, up by 1 rig to 33.
Canada's rig count jumped by 230 to 594, compared with 461 rigs working in the same period last year.
