The US drilling rig count rose by 4 units during the week ended Oct. 19, with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,839, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 2,013 rigs working during the comparable week last year.
Land rigs increased by 1 to 1,774. Rigs drilling in inland waters climbed by 1 unit to 16 rigs. There were 49 rigs drilling offshore, 2 more than a week ago. Of these rigs, 43 were drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, 1 more than last week.
Of the recent week’s total, rigs drilling for oil decreased by 1 unit to 1,410. Rigs targeting gas climbed by 5 units to 427 rigs. Two active rotaries were unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.
Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 200, up 6 from a week ago and 41 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally increased by 2 units to 1,114 compared with 1,142 in the comparable week a year ago.
Of the major oil and gas producing states, Alaska’s rig count climbed by 5 rigs to reach 12 while the rig count in Texas dipped by 5 to 867.
Three states were up 2 rigs each: Arkansas at 17, Colorado at 63, and North Dakota at 179. Louisiana added 1 rig to reach 105 while Wyoming added 1 to reach 50. Three states were unchanged: California at 35, New Mexico at 87, and Pennsylvania at 66.
Oklahoma’s rig count dropped by 2 units to 189 while West Virginia’s rig count dropped 1 to 26.
Canada’s rig count was 355, which includes 268 rigs drilling for oil and 86 units drilling for gas. The total was down 6 units from the previous week and down 142 units from last year’s comparable week.
