US drilling count drops

July 10, 2009
After climbing for 3 consecutive weeks for the first time since early September, US drilling is down by 12 units to 916 rotary rigs working this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 10
-- After climbing for 3 consecutive weeks for the first time since early September, US drilling is down by 12 units to 916 rotary rigs working this week, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

That compares with 1,922 rigs drilling in the US during the same period a year ago.

Land operations led the latest loss, down 7 rigs to 871 drilling. Offshore drilling declined by 5 rigs to 37, all in the Gulf of Mexico. Drilling in inland waters was unchanged with 8 units drilling.

Of the rigs still working, those drilling for oil increased by 5 to 234. Those drilling for natural gas declined by 16 to 672. There were 10 rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling decreased by 6 rigs to 390. Directional drilling increased 4 to 165.

Among major producing states, Louisiana was down 4 rigs to 130 drilling. California dropped 3 to 20. Texas and New Mexico were down 2 each to 336 and 38, respectively. Wyoming was down 1 rig to 30; Alaska was down 1 to 5. States with unchanged rig counts included Oklahoma, 82; Colorado, 45; and North Dakota, 40. Arkansas’s rig count increased by 1 to 45.

In other states of interest, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Utah were unchanged with respective rig counts of 43, 20, and 16.

Canada’s rig count increased by 13 to 178, down sharply from 414 rigs working in the same week in 2008.