By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 17 -- US drilling activity increased slightly with 1,860 rotary rigs working this week, 5 more than the previous week and up from 1,539 units in the same period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land operations increased by 3 units to 1,808 active. Offshore drilling increased by 2 to 35 rigs working, all in the Gulf of Mexico. Inland waters activity was unchanged at 17 units drilling.
Of the US rigs working, 870 were drilling for natural gas, 9 fewer than the previous week. The number drilling for oil increased by 15 to 984. There were 6 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling declined by 4 units to 1,061. Directional drilling increased by 10 to 241.
Texas had the biggest rig count increase of 5 to 838 drilling this week. North Dakota followed with a gain of 4 to 163. West Virginia put 3 more rigs to work for a total of 21. Louisiana gained 2 to 174. Wyoming had 46 rigs drilling, 1 more than the previous week. California, Arkansas, and Alaska were unchanged with respective counts of 43, 35, and 6. Oklahoma and Colorado were down 1 rig each to 165 and 68, respectively. Pennsylvania dropped 5 units with 109 still working. New Mexico lost 7, down to 78.
Canada’s rotary rig count increased by 45 to 277 drilling, compared with 236 active in the comparable period last year.
Rendering from Cedar LNG.
US Government Accountability Office.
