By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 13 -- US drilling activity dipped this week, down by 6 units to 1,111 rotary rigs working, compared with 905 during the same period a year ago, officials at Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday.
The loss was spread across the three main categories. Land drilling declined by 2 to 995 rigs, and inland water activity was down by 1 to 19 units. Offshore drilling declined by 3 to 96 rotary rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and 97 in US waters as a whole.
However, ODS-Petrodata Consulting & Research, Houston, said Friday that demand for mobile offshore drilling units in the gulf broke its previously downward trend this week, with the number of rigs under contract increasing by 2 to 115 of the 163 available in those waters. That boosted utilization to 70.6%.
In Canada, drilling activity jumped by 34 rotary rigs to 586 working this week, up from 549 during the same period in 2003.
Among US rigs, the number drilling for oil increased by 11 to 155 this week. But the number drilling for natural gas fell by 17 to 951. There were 5 rigs unclassified. Directional drilling dropped by 7 units to 285. Horizontal drilling increased by 3 to 98.
Oklahoma registered the biggest decrease among major producing states this week, down by 3 units to 143 working. Texas and Wyoming lost 1 rig each, with respective counts of 485 and 63. California and Alaska were unchanged at 20 and 10, respectively. Louisiana's rig count increased by 2 to 168, and New Mexico was up by 1 to 61.
In European waters, the number of mobile offshore rigs under contract decreased by 1 to 78 this week out of an available fleet of 96, dipping utilization to 81.3%. Worldwide, there was a net gain of 4 rigs under contract to 527 out of a total mobile offshore rig fleet of 654, for a global utilization rate of 80.6%
