By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 18 -- US drilling activity continued declining this week, down by 8 rotary rigs with 1,713 still working compared with 1,345 during the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land operations had the biggest decline, of course, down 7 to 1,672 units still drilling. Offshore drilling declined by 1 rig to 25, all in the Gulf of Mexico. Inland waters activity was unchanged with 16 rigs busy.
Of the US rigs working, 905 were drilling for natural gas, down by 1 from the previous week. The number drilling for oil declined by 7 to 798. There were 10 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 4 units to 984. Directional drilling lost 7 to 223.
Among major producing states, Texas had the biggest decline in its weekly rig count, down 4 to 747. Louisiana and New Mexico declined by 3 rigs each to 170 and 76, respectively. Pennsylvania was down 2 units to 110 drilling. Oklahoma lost 1 with 158 still working. Six states reported no changes in their rig counts, including North Dakota 150, Colorado 60, Wyoming 46, California 38, Arkansas 35, and West Virginia 20. Last and least, Alaska’s rig count increased by 1 to 7.
Canada’s rotary rig count gained 6 to 636 rotary rigs working, compared with 570 in the same period last year.
Photo from Odfjell Drilling.
Photo from bp.
