US drilling rig count falls 4 units to 1,894

Aug. 31, 2012
The US rig count fell by 4 units during the week ended Aug. 31. The total number of rotary rigs in the US reached 1,894 this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,968 rigs during the comparable week last year.

The US rig count fell by 4 units during the week ended Aug. 31. The total number of rotary rigs in the US reached 1,894 this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,968 rigs during the comparable week last year.

Land drilling operations were down 5 units from a week ago, reaching 1,825 units. There were 18 rigs drilling in inland waters, unchanged from last week.

Of the total, 51 rigs were drilling offshore, an increase of 1 unit from a week ago. Of these rigs, 49 were drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, unchanged from last week.

Of the recent week’s total, oil rigs were up by 11 units from the previous week, reaching 1,419. Gas rigs, meanwhile, decreased by 13 units to 473 rigs working. Two active rotaries were unclassified, a decline of 2 units from a week ago.

Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 219, down 1 unit from a week ago and 19 fewer than the same week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally decreased by 10 units to 1,149 compared with 1,139 in the comparable week a year ago.

There were three states among the major drilling states that showed declines this week. These were: Texas, down 6 rigs to 889; and Pennsylvania and California, down 2 rigs each to respective counts of 64 and 46. Five states had rig counts that remained unchanged from a week ago. These were: North Dakota, 186; Louisiana, 121; Colorado, 61; Wyoming, 52; and Arkansas, 16. Three states—West Virginia, Ohio, and Alaska—were up 1 rig each to 28, 18, and 7, respectively. Oklahoma, at 201, and New Mexico, at 88, were up 2 rigs each.

Canada’s rig count was 316, including 237 rigs drilling for oil and 79 units drilling for gas. The total was down 18 units from the previous week and down 201 units from last year’s comparable week.