By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 23 -- US drilling activity broke a 22-year record the week ended May 23, with 1,889 rotary rigs working, the most since Jan. 3, 1986 when Baker Hughes Inc. reported 1,983 units active.
The latest weekly count is 27 units more than the previous week, and up from 1,760 during the same period a year ago. Land operations accounted for the latest increase, up 31 rigs to 1,799 drilling. Inland waters activity dipped by 2 rigs to 23 working. Offshore drilling was down by 2 rigs to 67 rigs in US waters, including 64 in the Gulf of Mexico.
Texas registered the biggest increase among the major producing states with its rig count escalating by 33 units to 935. Oklahoma and California gained 2 rigs each to 207 and 44, respectively. Louisiana, New Mexico, and Alaska were unchanged at 149, 76, and 7, respectively. Colorado and Wyoming dropped 3 rigs each with respective counts of 119 and 70.
There were 1,493 rigs drilling for natural gas this week, 22 more than last week. Oil drilling increased by 5 to 386 units. The remaining rigs were not classified. Horizontal drilling increased by 16 rigs to 544. Directional drilling gained 9 units to 385.
In Canada, drilling increased by 20 rotary rigs to 152 working, up from 114 in the same period a year ago.
