Baker Hughes: US drilling rig count drops to 1,744

Sept. 27, 2013
The US drilling rig count dropped 17 units to 1,744 rotary rigs working during the week ended Sept. 27, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

The US drilling rig count dropped 17 units to 1,744 rotary rigs working during the week ended Sept. 27, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land-based rigs fell 12 units to 1,663 while rigs drilling in inland waters lost 4 units to 17. There was 1 fewer offshore rig compared with a week ago, bringing that total to 64.

Oil rigs were down 7 units to 1,362 and gas rigs declined by 10 units to 376. Six rigs were considered unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.

Horizontal drilling rigs decreased by 6 units to 1,085. Directional drilling rigs, meanwhile, lost 7 units to 242.

Canada reported a 2-unit gain from a week ago to 390 rigs working. A loss of 11 oil rigs to 232 was more than offset by a gain of 13 gas rigs to 158.

Major states, basins

Seven of the major oil and gas producing states experienced losses, headlined by Texas, which dropped 11 units to 825. Louisiana reported a 5-unit decline to 108 rigs working; West Virginia and Alaska each had 3-unit declines to respective counts of 34 and 9; and Wyoming, Utah, and Arkansas each edged down 1 unit to respective totals of 49, 29, and 11. Five states—North Dakota, 171; Colorado, 70; California, 40; Ohio, 35; and Kansas, 29—were unchanged from last week. Pennsylvania was up 2 units to 52; New Mexico added 3 units to 74; and Oklahoma’s 4-rig bump was the most gained of any state this week, bringing its count to 166.

Noteworthy changes this week in major US basins included 3-unit declines in the Eagle Ford to 229 rigs working and a 3-unit decline in the Barnett to 32 rigs working. Meanwhile, the Permian, Mississippian, Haynesville, and Cana Woodford increased by 2 units each to respective counts of 454, 78, 38, and 28.