The US drilling rig count fell by 4 units during the week ended Apr. 26 to a total of 1,754 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. That compared with 1,945 rigs working in the comparable week last year.
Most of the losses were seen in land-based drilling activity, which decreased 3 units from a week ago to 1,681 rigs working. The offshore count held steady from last week at 49 while inland water drilling dropped by 1 unit to 24. Of the rigs drilling offshore, 47 were in the Gulf of Mexico, also unchanged from a week ago.
Rigs targeting oil climbed by 10 units to 1,381, while those targeting gas decreased by 13 to 366. There were 7 rigs considered unclassified, down 1 unit from a week ago.
Rigs drilling horizontally were reported at 1,084, down 13 units from a week ago and 55 fewer than the comparable week last year. Rigs drilling directionally fell 1 unit to 199. This compared with 243 rigs working horizontally in the comparable week a year ago.
Of the major oil and gas producing states, Alaska was down 5 units to 3 while Texas was down 3 units to 834. North Dakota also was down by 3 units to 173. Pennsylvania’s count declined by 1 rig to 59.
Four states were unchanged in their rig count. Arkansas was steady at 15; California 41, West Virginia 24, and Wyoming 40.
Oklahoma’s rig count climbed by 3 to 183. Colorado gained 2 units to 63. Louisiana gained 1 unit to 109 while New Mexico gained 1 unit to 79.
Canada’s rig count was off again this week, down 4 units to 122. This count includes 66 rigs drilling for oil (down 1 unit from a week ago) and 56 units drilling for gas (down 5 from a week ago). The total was down 10 units from 76 rigs working in the comparable week last year.