The global count of active drilling rigs fell by 35 month-over-month in September to average 2,081, according to Baker Hughes data. The count is still 497 units higher compared with its September 2016 average.
Latin America lost 14 units in September to 177, down 12 year-over-year. Venezuela dropped 4 units to 44, down 7 year-over-year. Colombia fell 3 units to 21, up 15 year-over-year. Mexico decreased 3 units to 15, down 10 year-over-year. Brazil declined 2 units to 13, down 5 year-over-year. Bolivia lost 2 units to 1, down 4 year-over-year.
In North America, both the US and Canada declined 7 units to 940 and 210, respectively. The US remained up 431 year-over-year, while Canada was up 69 year-over-year.
An active Asia-Pacific region dropped 6 units during the month to 189, down 1 rig compared with its September 2016 average. India fell 4 units to 105, down 10 year-over-year. Indonesia lost 4 units to 26, up 7 year-over-year. Brunei Darussalam relinquished all 4 of its active rigs. Thailand decreased 2 units to 8, down 3 year-over-year. Japan and Myanmar each dropped its only active unit.
Malaysia gained 1 unit to 5, up 2 year-over-year. Australia rose 2 units to 16, up 12 year-over-year. Offshore China jumped 7 units to 25, down 4 year-over-year.
Africa declined 5 units during the month to 79, up 2 year-over-year. Algeria decreased 5 units to 50, down 3 year-over-year. Senegal dropped its only 2 active rigs, while Mauritania gained its only active unit. Angola also rose a unit to 3.
Europe was unchanged in September from its August average at 91, down 1 unit year-over-year. However, major offshore producer Norway dropped 4 units to 11, down 5 year-over-year. Poland decreased 3 units to 7, down 1 rig year-over-year. Offshore UK declined 2 units to 10, up 2 year-over-year.
Austria added its only 2 active rigs. Romania rose 2 units to 7, up 1 rig year-over-year. Turkey increased 3 units to 21, down 8 year-over-year.
The Middle East was the only region to record an increase during September, gaining 4 active rigs to 395, up 9 from its September 2016 average. Saudi Arabia climbed 2 units to 117, down 7 year-over-year and 10 from its November 2016 count when it led a deal with fellow members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to collectively curtail output by 1.2 million b/d.
Iraq gained 2 units to average 55, up 15 year-over-year. Oman also was up 2 to 55, but it’s down 9 units year-over-year. Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, declined 2 units to 50, up 1 rig year-over-year.
Contact Matt Zborowski at [email protected].
