By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 10 -- US drilling activity took a plunge this week, down by 9 units with 1,240 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. The decline is a near reversal of last week's rig total, which was the largest weekly rig count since the same period in 2001 when 1,252 rigs were drilling (OGJ Online, Sept. 3, 2004).
Losses in US land operations accounted for most of the decline, down by 7 units to 1,130 rigs working. Offshore operations decreased by 2 rigs to 87 in the Gulf of Mexico and 92 in US waters as a whole.
Drilling in US inland waters remained the same at 18 rigs working.
Canada showed a decrease of 34 units with 261 rotary rigs working this week, which is down from 378 units a year ago.
