North American drilling activity increases

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 27 -- US drilling activity increased this week, up by 17 rotary rigs to 1,847 compared with 1,535 working in the same period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land operations accounted for most of the increase, adding 15 units for a total 1,796 drilling. Inland waters activity lost 2 rigs with only 16 still occupied. Offshore drilling in US waters gained 4 for a total of 35, all in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the US rigs working, the number drilling for oil increased by 4 to 958 units. There were 881 rotary rigs drilling for natural gas, 15 more than the previous week.
There were 8 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 16 to 1,054 rigs. Directional drilling was up 15 to 881.

Texas had the biggest gain this week, an increase of 16 to 835 rotary rigs working. New Mexico and Arkansas gained 2 rigs each to respective totals of 77 and 35. Oklahoma added 1 rig for a total of 173units drilling. Rig counts were unchanged in 4 major producing states: Pennsylvania 110; Colorado 72; West Virginia 19; and Alaska 5. North Dakota, California, and Wyoming were down by 1 rig each to 162, 44, and 41, respectively. Louisiana, plagued with flooding from the Mississippi River, had the biggest downturn for the week, down by 4 units to 165.

Canada’s rotary rig count climbed by 36 to 179 rigs working, down from 191 units during the comparable period last year.