By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, May 18 -- Total US drilling activity dipped this week, and utilization of mobile offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico also was down, industry sources reported Friday.
There were 1,225 rotary rigs drilling in the US and its waters this week, 7 less than the previous week but up from 849 during the same period a year ago, said officials of Baker Hughes Inc.
That included 500 rigs working in Texas, one less than the previous week. Louisiana and New Mexico reported declines of eight rigs each to 224 and 67, respectively. But Oklahoma's rig count increased by 1 to 146. Wyoming was up 2 to 53.
Canada had 252 rotary rigs making hole, 24 more than the previous week and up from 182 last year.
ODS-Petrodata Group, Houston, reported 1 more mobile offshore rig joined the gulf fleet this week, with a net decline of one rig under contract. The gulf's utilization rate dipped to 89.7% with 191 units contracted out of the 213 available.
Activity in European waters was unchanged, with 95 rigs under contract in a fleet of 102, for 93.1% utilization.
Worldwide, the number of mobile offshore rigs under contract was down 2 to 582 out of a total fleet of 650. That put utilization at 89.5%.