US land, oil drilling dips to 1,757 units in latest rig count report

Dec. 27, 2013
Rigs drilling on land and for oil took the biggest hit in the latest US drilling rig count report, released by Baker Hughes Inc.

Rigs drilling on land and for oil took the biggest hit in the latest US drilling rig count report, released by Baker Hughes Inc. The rig count lost 11 units to settle at 1,757 rigs working in the week ended Dec. 27, Baker Hughes reported.

All of that loss was seen in rigs drilling on land, which reached 1,676 units, down 11 from last week. Offshore drilling and drilling in inland waters, at respective counts of 61 and 20, were unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs targeting oil declined 13 units to reach 1,382. Those rigs drilling for gas reached 374 units, up 2 rigs. Rigs considered unclassified were unchanged at 1 unit.

Horizontal drilling rigs climbed 6 units to reach 1,146, while directional drilling ticked up 1 unit to 224 rigs working.

Rigs drilling in Canada fell to 263 units, down 135 from a week ago, but 59 units more than the same week last year. Rigs drilling for oil in Canada fell 96 units to 131, while those targeting gas reached 132 units, down 39.

Major states, basins

Among the major oil and gas producing states Texas’ rig count declined 10 units to reach 835. West Virginia, at 32, fell 4 units. Oklahoma, down 2 from a week ago, reached 172 rigs working. Nine states were unchanged this week: North Dakota, 173; New Mexico, 78; Colorado, 64; Wyoming, 53; California, 35; Ohio, 35; Kansas, 31; Utah, 23; and Arkansas, 11. Louisiana, at 112, and Pennsylvania, at 56, were both up 1 unit. Alaska jumped 2 units to reach 9 rigs working.

Among the major producing basins, the Permian reached 469 units this week, down 7. The Marcellus and the Ardmore Woodford fell 3 units each to respective counts of 85 and 10. The Eagle Ford, Granite Wash, and Haynesville were each down 1 rig to counts of 228, 53, and 41, respectively.