US drilling activity declined slightly last week, with 1,116 rotary rigs working, officials at Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
That�s 12 fewer than the previous week but up strongly from 755 during the same period a year ago. The rig count, which Baker Hughes usually issues on Friday, was delayed last week.
Most of last week�s decline was among offshore operations. Baker Hughes reported 167 rotary rigs drilling offshore last week, 14 fewer than the previous week. That compares to 929 rotary rigs drilling on land at some point during the week, two more than previously.
Of the US rigs surveyed by Baker Hughes last week, 879 were drilling for natural gas targets, eight fewer than the previous week, and 236 were drilling for oil, four fewer than the previous week, with one rig unclassified.
Louisiana led last week�s decline with 221 rotary rigs making hole, 10 fewer than the previous week. Texas followed with 428 rigs working, eight fewer than previously. Oklahoma�s rig count also was down one to 131.
However, New Mexico had 74 rotary rigs working in that state last week, a gain of four. Wyoming�s rig count was up two to 54.
There were 559 rotary rigs working in Canada last week, two fewer than the previous week but up slightly from 558 a year ago.
Offshore Data Services Inc. reported Friday the first activity change in European waters in more than a month, with two additional mobile offshore rigs under contract. That boosted the utilization rate to 89%, with 90 rigs contracted out of 101 available.
The number of offshore rigs under contract in the Gulf of Mexico was unchanged, said Offshore Data officials. But a new, uncontracted rig entered that fleet last week, causing utilization to dip to 85.7%, with 180 rigs under contract out of an available fleet of 210.
Worldwide utilization of mobile offshore rigs was down slightly to 86%, with 559 rigs under contract out of the 650 total available.