US drilling rig count gains 3 units to 1,762

Feb. 15, 2013
The US drilling rig count increased by 3 units during the week ended Feb. 15, with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,762, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. That compared with 1,994 rigs working in the comparable week last year.

The US drilling rig count increased by 3 units during the week ended Feb. 15, with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,762, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. That compared with 1,994 rigs working in the comparable week last year.

Offshore drilling reached 55 rigs, unchanged from a week ago. The tally of rigs drilling in inland waters was unchanged from the previous week at 16. Land-based drilling, meanwhile, gained 3 units to 1,691. Of the rigs drilling offshore, 53 were in the Gulf of Mexico, unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs targeting natural gas fell 4 units to 421. Rigs drilling for oil gained 7 to 1,337. There were 4 rigs unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 194, up 9 rigs from a week ago but 20 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally slid 4 to 1,139. This compared with 1,163 rigs working in the comparable week a year ago.

Of the major oil and gas producing states, Texas was up 14 units to 838. Wyoming, at 47 rigs, was up 1 unit. Five states were unchanged this week: New Mexico, 76; Colorado, 56; California, 34; Ohio, 27; and Alaska, 8. Four states were down 1 rig each: North Dakota, 177; Louisiana, 110; West Virginia, 22; and Arkansas, 15. Oklahoma was down 2 rigs to 194; Pennsylvania slid 5 units to 66 rigs working.

Canada’s rig count rose again this week, up 20 units to 651. This count includes 500 rigs drilling for oil and 151 units drilling for gas. The total was down 54 units from the comparable week last year.