By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 13 -- US drilling activity slipped this week, down by 6 rotary rigs to 1,830 working, compared with 1,506 active rigs in the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land operations had the biggest loss, down 7 units to 1,780. Inland waters activity decreased by 2 rigs to 17. In what has become an unusual situation, offshore drilling registered the only increases, up by 3 rigs to 32 working in the Gulf of Mexico out of a total 33 rigs drilling in US waters.
Of the US rigs working, 874 were drilling for natural gas, 16 fewer than the previous week. The number drilling for oil continued climbing, however, up by 13 to 947. There were 9 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 3 rigs to 1,041 operating. Directional drilling inched up 1 rig to 226.
Increases among the major producing states were small this week, with New Mexico in the lead with a 2-rig increase to 75. Four states gained 1 rig each: Texas at 817, North Dakota 162, West Virginia 18, and Alaska 6. Colorado, Wyoming, and California were unchanged, with respective counts of 72, 42, and 41. Louisiana was down by 1 rotary rig to 173. Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas lost 2 rigs each to 180, 108, and 32, respectively.
Canada’s rotary rig count increased by 4 to 127 drilling, compared with 121 working in the same period last year.
Photo from Esso SAF.
Map from Petrobras.
