US drilling rig count unchanged at 1,769

May 17, 2013
The US drilling rig count was unchanged during the week ended May 17, maintaining a total of 1,769 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

The US drilling rig count was unchanged during the week ended May 17, maintaining a total of 1,769 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land-based drilling decreased 3 units from a week ago to 1,693 rigs working. The offshore count gained 2 units to 52, while inland water drilling gained 1 unit to 24. Of the rigs drilling offshore, 49 were in the Gulf of Mexico, up 2 units from a week ago.

Rigs drilling for oil fell by 4 units to 1,408, while those targeting gas increased by 4 to 354. Seven rigs were considered unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs drilling horizontally were reported at 1,096, down 3 units from a week ago, and 97 fewer than the comparable week last year. Rigs drilling directionally gained 13 units to 211. This compared with 227 rigs working horizontally in the comparable week a year ago.

Of the major oil and gas producing states, North Dakota and Wyoming gained 3 rigs each to reach respective counts of 179 and 43. Ohio and Alaska, at 33 and 9, respectively, gained 1 rig each. Four states were unchanged this week: Louisiana, 106; California, 41; West Virginia, 23; and Arkansas, 15. Texas, at 837, and Colorado, at 62, each lost 1 rig. New Mexico and Pennsylvania, each down 2 units, reached 75 and 57, respectively. Oklahoma, down 3 rigs, reached 187.

Canada’s rig count was up 5 rigs this week to 123. This count includes 70 rigs drilling for oil (down 6 units from a week ago) and 53 units drilling for gas (unchanged from last week). The total was unchanged from the 123 rigs working in the comparable week last year.