By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Jan. 11 -- A total of 30 units dropped out of the US rotary rig count this week, with 1,744 still working, up from 1,717 during the same period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
A cursory check of previous reports indicated it was the largest 1-week decline among US rigs since the period ended Jan. 26, 2007, when the count was down by 46 rigs. The latest loss cut through all three categories. Land drilling lost 17 units to 1,665. Inland water activity dropped 9 rigs to 20, and offshore drilling was down 4 to 59, including 57 in the Gulf of Mexico.
Louisiana had the biggest loss among major producing states, down 22 rigs to 139. Texas dropped 10 to 859; Oklahoma lost 7 to 190. New Mexico and California dropped 1 rig each to 69 and 42, respectively. Wyoming was unchanged with 73 rotary rigs drilling. On the other hand, Colorado's rig count increased by 4 to 103, and Alaska was up 1 to 7.
Meanwhile, with the seasonal cold improving movement of rigs, Canada's count jumped by 196 to 515 this week but was still below year-ago level of 586.
