By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, June 15 -- US land drilling increased slightly this week while utilization of mobile offshore rigs remained unchanged worldwide, industry officials reported Friday.
There were 1,266 rotary rigs drilling in the US and its waters, said officials at Baker Hughes Inc. in Houston. That's a net gain of 2 rigs over the previous week and up from 871 during the same period a year ago.
Active land rigs increased by 8 to 1,080 this week, while rigs working inland waters decreased by 2 to 23. The number of mobile offshore rigs actually drilling in US waters dipped by 4 -- including 3 in the Gulf of Mexico -- to 163, said Baker Hughes officials.
However, ODS-Petrodata Group, Houston, said total utilization among mobile offshore rigs in the gulf was unchanged at 88.7%, with 189 contracted out of the 213 available. ODS-Petrodata tallies the number of offshore rigs that are under contract each week, whether they are actively drilling or not. Baker Hughes counts only rigs that were actually drilling at any time during the week.
Of those rigs, 1,042 were drilling for gas, 9 fewer than last week; while 223 were drilling for oil, up 11 during the same period.
The number of rigs working in Texas declined by 6 to 498, while Louisiana's rig count was down 3 to 225. New Mexico had 70 rotary rigs working, unchanged from the previous week.
There were 159 rigs working in Oklahoma, 2 more since last week; and Wyoming's rig count was up 3 to 63.
Canada had 320 rotary rigs making hole, 45 more than last week and up from 251 a year ago.
All but 4 of the 102 mobile offshore rigs available in European waters are still under contract for 96.1% utilization, said ODS-Petrodata officials. Worldwide utilization remained at 90%, with 586 mobile offshore rigs contracted out of 651 total.