By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Apr. 1 -- US drilling activity increased last week after 9 weeks of consecutive declines, said officials at Baker Hughes Inc.
There were 761 rotary rigs working in the US and its waters last week, 11 more than the previous week but far below the 1,193 rigs that were drilling during the same period in 2001.
Most of the increase was in land activity, which was up 10 rigs to 634. There were 13 rotary rigs working inland waters, 2 fewer than the previous week. Offshore, the number of rigs actually drilling in the Gulf of Mexico was up 5 to 109, while overall US offshore activity increased by 3 rigs to 114, Baker Hughes officials reported.
Canada had 251 rotary rigs working last week, down 25 due partly to the seasonal thaw that hampers rig movements each spring. That compares with 326 rigs that were working during the same period a year ago.
The number of US rigs drilling for natural gas increased last week for the first time this year, up 4 to 609. The number drilling for oil also increased, by 6 to 105, with 2 rigs unclassified. Robert Morris, energy analyst at Salomon Smith Barney Inc., reported Monday that most of the producers he follows "are preparing to ramp up (drilling) activity if the recent price strength persists."
Of the rigs working last week, 224 were involved in directional drilling, up 5 from the previous week, and 58 were doing horizontal drilling, an increase of 3.
Louisiana led the rebound, adding 9 drilling units for a total of 156 active rigs. Oklahoma's rig count increased by 4 to 80. New Mexico was up 2 to 37, and California had 23 rigs working, up 1 from the previous week.
Texas, on the other hand, was down 5 rigs to 301 working last week. Wyoming's rig count dipped 3 to 35 and Alaska was down 1 to 15.
ODS-Petrodata Group reported an additional mobile offshore rig under contract in the Gulf of Mexico last week. However, the fleet utilization rate remained unchanged at 60% in those waters, with 121 units contracted out of an available fleet of 200.
In European waters, three more rigs were under contract last week. That boosted utilization nearly four points to 91.2%, with 93 rigs under contract out of a fleet of 102.
Despite those additions, the worldwide number of contracted mobile offshore rigs declined by 2 to 521 last week, out of a total fleet of 655, with the overall utilization rate dipping slightly to 79.5%.