By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 3 -- US drilling activity continued to climb with 1,854 rotary rigs working this week, 7 more than the previous week and up from 1,506 in the same period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land operations accounted for the gain, up by 10 units to 1,806 working. Inland waters activity declined by 1 to 15, while offshore drilling was down 2 to 33 rigs working, all in the Gulf of Mexico.
Of the US rigs working, 959 were drilling for oil, 1 more than the previous week. There were 887 rigs drilling for natural gas, an increase of 6 for the week. There were 8 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling was down by 3 units to 1,051 rigs. Directional drilling declined by 2 to 230.
Texas had the biggest increase this week, up by 8 rotary rigs to 843 working. Alaska increased by 2 to 7. Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico increased by 1 rig each to 166, 111, and 78, respectively. There were three states unchanged: California at 44, Wyoming at 41, and Arkansas at 35. North Dakota, Colorado, and West Virginia were down 1 rig each to respective counts of 161, 71, and 18. Oklahoma was down by 3 rotary rigs to 170 still working.
Canada’s rotary rig count increased by 5 to 184 working units this week, compared with 192 drilling at this time last year.
Dreamstime | © Charles Montgomery.
Photo from SABIC Limburg BV.
