The US drilling rig count lost 4 units to 1,739 rigs working during the week ended Oct. 18, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
For the second consecutive week, land-based rigs lost 6 units, bringing that total to 1,662. Offshore rigs were unchanged at 58 from a week ago. Rigs drilling in inland waters experienced a 2-unit increase to 19.
Oil rigs fell by 6 units for a second week in a row to 1,361 while gas rigs picked up 3 units to 372. Rigs considered unclassified lost 1 unit from a week ago to 6.
Horizontal drilling rigs declined by 7 units to 1,099. Directional drilling rigs gained 11 units to 239.
Meanwhile, Canada was up 31 units compared with a week ago, totaling 388 rigs working. Twenty-one of those tallied were targeting oil, making that total 235. The other 10 were targeting gas, bringing that total to 153. Compared with this week a year ago, Canada has 33 more rigs working.
Major states, basins
Just four of the major oil- and gas-producing states experienced increases. Colorado, with a 3-unit improvement, reached 73 total units. North Dakota, Louisiana, and West Virginia were each up by 1 unit to respective totals of 171, 107, and 31. Unchanged from a week ago were New Mexico at 75, Wyoming at 49, California at 40, Utah at 29, and Alaska at 11. Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Arkansas were each down 1 unit to 57, 23, and 11, respectively. Oklahoma and Ohio each dropped 2 units to respective totals of 176 and 33. Texas, with a 5-unit loss to 817, experienced the steepest decline for the second consecutive week.
Noteworthy changes this week in major US basins included a 3-unit rise in the DJ-Niobrara to 51 rigs working and a 2-unit gain in the Cana Woodford to 32 rigs working. Meanwhile, the Permian and Utica each gave up 3 units to totals of 448 and 35, respectively. The Granite Wash lost 2 units to 61.