US rig count rises 10 units to 1,687 rigs drilling

Nov. 24, 2010
US drilling activity increased this week with 1,687 rotary rigs now working, up 10 from the previous week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 24
-- US drilling activity increased this week with 1,687 rotary rigs now working, up 10 from the previous week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. That compared with 1,137 units drilling in the same period last year.

All of the gains were made in land operations, which were up 10 units to 1,647 rigs working. Offshore drilling and inland waters were unchanged at 20 units apiece.

Of the US rigs working, 953 were drilling for natural gas, 17 more than the previous week. The number drilling for oil decreased by 7 to 724. There were 10 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 16 rigs to 948. Directional drilling increased by 3 units to 216.

Louisiana lost the most rigs this week, down 3 to 174 units drilling. Down 2 units each were Colorado, Wyoming, and Alaska with respective counts of 67, 41, and 6. Three states were down 1 rig each: New Mexico, 67; Arkansas, 36; and California, 35. North Dakota gained 2 rigs with 141 rigs working. Up 4 rigs were Pennsylvania and West Virginia with 103 and 24 rigs drilling, respectively. Texas gained 6 units with 745 drilling. Oklahoma was at 142 rigs working, up 10.

Canada’s weekly rig count fell by 3 rigs with 415 still active, up from 317 a year ago at this time.