The US drilling rig count fell 4 units to 936 during the week ended Oct. 6, according to Baker Hughes data.
The count is down 22 units since the peak of a 14-month drilling rebound on July 28, but it remains up 532 units since a modern low in Baker Hughes data during the weeks ended May 20-27, 2016.
In the 10 weeks since July 28, the count has fallen seven times (OGJ Online, Sept. 29, 2017).
US oil-directed rigs dropped 2 units this week to 748, down 20 units since their recent high on Aug. 11 but up 432 units since their recent bottom on May 27, 2016.
Gas-directed rigs, whose count has been relatively stable since May, also shed 2 units and now total 187. One rig considered unclassified remains drilling.
Three land-based rigs stopped drilling, with 3 rigs that drilled directionally ending work to bring that count to 79. Rigs drilling horizontally fell 2 units to 792, down 18 units since July 28 but up 478 units since May 20-27, 2016.
The tally of rigs drilling in inland waters halved to 1. The offshore count was static at 22 as Gulf of Mexico operators began evacuating platforms while Tropical Storm Nate moved northward toward the US central gulf (OGJ Online, Oct. 6, 2017).
Texas shed 3 units to 448, down 18 units since July 14. The Permian lost 2 units to 383, still higher than its weekly August totals. The Eagle Ford and Barnett each rose a unit to 69 and 8, respectively. The Eagle Ford is down 17 units since its recent peak during May 26-June 2.
Pennsylvania and Wyoming each decreased 2 units to 31 and 23, respectively. The Marcellus also was down 2 units and now totals 45. Louisiana edged down a unit to 66.
Colorado and the DJ-Niobrara each gained a unit to 34 and 26, respectively.
Oklahoma jumped 3 units to 127 despite a 2-unit loss in the Cana Woodford to 60, down 9 since its high on Aug. 25. The Arkoma Woodford, meanwhile, rose 2 units to 11, its highest point since May 25, 2012.
Canada also declined 4 units this week and now counts 209 rigs working. Its overall tally has remained in the low 200s since July. Gas-directed rigs fell 3 units to 97, while those targeting oil edged down 1 to 112.
Contact Matt Zborowski at [email protected].
