The US drilling rig count gained 10 units during the week ended May 3 to a total of 1,764 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. That compared with 1,965 rigs working in the comparable week last year.
Most of the gains were seen in land-based drilling activity, which increased 9 units from a week ago to 1,690 rigs working. The offshore count rose by 2 units to reach 51, while inland water drilling dropped by 1 unit to 23. Of the rigs drilling offshore, 48 were in the Gulf of Mexico, up 1 unit from a week ago.
Rigs targeting oil climbed by 22 units to 1,403, while those targeting gas decreased by 12 to 354. There were 7 rigs considered unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.
Rigs drilling horizontally were reported at 1,092, up 8 units from a week ago and 66 fewer than the comparable week last year. Rigs drilling directionally fell 2 units to 197. This compared with 234 rigs working horizontally in the comparable week a year ago.
Of the major oil and gas producing states, Oklahoma and Alaska, at respective counts of 188 and 8, each gained 5 units. Four states gained 1 rig each: North Dakota, 174; Pennsylvania, 60; Wyoming, 41; and Ohio, 32. Four states were unchanged from a week ago, namely Colorado, 63; California, 41; West Virginia, 24; and Arkansas, 15. Louisiana, at 108, and New Mexico, at 78, were down 1 unit each. Texas lost 3 units to reach 831.
Canada’s rig count was off slightly this week, down 1 unit to 121. This count includes 66 rigs drilling for oil (unchanged from a week ago) and 55 units drilling for gas (down 1 unit from a week ago). The total was down from the 131 rigs working in the comparable week last year.
