By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 12 -- US drilling activity continued to decline this week, down 62 to 1,790 rotary rigs still working, compared with 1,824 during the same period a year ago, according to the latest count by Baker Hughes Inc. Dec. 12.
The largest decline was in land operations, down 55 rigs to 1,716 working. Inland waters operations lost 9 units with 9 still drilling. That was partially offset by a gain of 2 rigs in offshore drilling to 62 active rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and 65 offshore overall.
Of the rigs still working 1,379 were drilling for natural gas, 49 fewer than the previous week. There were 401 rigs drilling for oil, a loss of 12 units; 10 rigs were unclassified. Horizontal drilling declined by 7 to 618 rigs this week. Directional drilling was down 17 units to 349.
Among the major producing states, only Alaska's rig count was higher this week than last, up 1 rig to 13 still working.
Texas dropped the most rigs, down 24 with 828 still working. Louisiana was down 16 rigs with 169 drilling. Colorado was down 10 to 103 rigs. Oklahoma slipped by 7 rigs to 168. New Mexico and North Dakota were down 3 rigs each, with respective rig counts of 68 and 83. Arkansas and California both were down 2 rigs, with respective rig counts of 52 and 38. Wyoming lost 1 rig, with 78 still drilling.
Moreover, the latest rig counts in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and California were all lower than during the comparable period a year ago.
Canada's weekly rig count dipped by 14 to 390 still active, down from 419 in the same week last year.
