By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 14 -- US drilling activity dipped by 3 rotary rigs to 1,111 this week from last week, compared with the 2-year high of 1,115 for the week ended Oct. 17, Baker Hughes Inc. executives said Friday.
The latest count still is up considerably from the 830 rigs that were working in the US and its waters during the same period last year.
Land operations accounted for the week's slight decline; down by 3 units with 987 drilling. Offshore activity held unchanged at 109 in US waters as did inland waters operations where the count held unchanged at 15.
Canada's rig count increased by 45 to 423 this week, up from 271 a year ago.
Among US rigs, those drilling for natural gas decreased by 4 to 948 this week. Oil drilling rose by 1 rig to 161, and 2 units were unclassified, which was unchanged from last week. Directional drilling was up by 8 rigs to 280, while horizontal drilling declined by 1 rig to 99 this week.
Texas accounted for most of this week's gain, up by 3 rotary rigs with 474 drilling. California declined by 4 rigs to 23, and Alaska decreased by 1 rig to 10.
Louisiana and Wyoming each gained one rig, to 165 and 63, respectively. Oklahoma's rig count declined by 1 to 137 units, and New Mexico's count held constant at 64.
ODS-Petrodata Consulting & Research, Houston, reported the number of mobile offshore rigs under contract in the US sector of the gulf decreased by 1 to 122 this week out of an available fleet of 165. The utilization rate was 73.9% in those waters.
In European waters, the number of contracted rigs remained unchanged. With 75 of the region's 95 rigs under contract, European offshore rig fleet utilization held at 78.9% for a second consecutive week.
The worldwide rig utilization was 80.3% with 526 of the world's 656 offshore rigs under contract, a 2-rig decline since the previous week.