The US drilling rig count fell 15 units from a week ago to a total of 1,776 rotary rigs working during the week ended Aug. 23, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land-based drilling lost 14 units this week to 1,692 rigs working. There were 62 rigs working offshore, unchanged from a week ago. Of these, 59 were drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, also unchanged from a week ago. The number of rigs drilling in inland waters fell 1 unit to 22.
Rigs drilling for oil in the US fell 15 units to reach 1,382 rigs working. Those targeting gas also declined, falling 1 unit to 387 rigs. Compared with the same week last year, gas rigs were down 99 units, while those drilling for oil were down 26. Seven rigs were considered unclassified, up 1 unit from a week ago.
The number of rigs drilling horizontally decreased by 2 units to 1,075, and the number of rigs drilling directionally decreased by 13 units to 256.
Canada’s rig count increased by 25 units from a week ago to 383 during the week ended Aug. 23. A 15-unit rise in rigs drilling for oil was accompanied by a 10-unit increase in rigs targeting gas. The total count was up 49 units from a year ago.
Major states, basins
Of the major oil and gas producing states, California dropped 5 units to 37 rigs working; Colorado fell 4 units to 67; North Dakota, Louisiana, and Utah each declined 3 units to 169, 110, and 28, respectively; Wyoming and Ohio dropped 2 units to 50 and 34, respectively; and West Virgina fell 1 unit 36. Oklahoma, at 169, New Mexico at 76, Alaska at 13, and Arkansas at 13 were all unchanged this week. Two states were up 1 rig: Pennsylvania at 52 and Kansas at 26. At 848 rigs, Texas experienced the largest gain, up 2 this week.
Notable changes this week in major US basins included an 8-rig decrease in Permian to 466 units working. The Permian basin lost 8 rigs this week, reaching 466. The Eagle Ford, meanwhile, saw a 5-rig gain with a total of 234 rigs working.
