By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 16 -- US drilling activity fell by 51 rotary rigs to 1,941 working, up from 1,797 during the same period last year, said Baker Hughes Inc.
Land operations accounted for the bulk of the loss, down 51 to 1,856 units drilling. Inland waters activity was down by 1 rig to 21. That was offset by an increase of 1 rig in offshore drilling to 61 active units in the Gulf of Mexico and 64 total in US offshore waters.
Of the rigs working in the US, 1,498 were drilling for natural gas, down 41 from the previous week, and 429 were drilling for oil, down 13. There were 3 rigs unclassified. Directional drilling declined by 4 to 389 rigs; horizontal drilling was down 20 to 624.
Texas drilling dropped by 23 rigs to 899 still working. Louisiana was down 13 to 178, while New Mexico lost 12 to 80. Oklahoma lost 6 to 189. Wyoming was down 3 to 74.
Unchanged rig counts included Colorado, 124; North Dakota, 90; California, 46; and Alaska, 10. Arkansas gained 2 rigs for a total of 59.
Canada's rig count declined by 27 to 418 rigs working compared with 356 in the same week a year ago.
