By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 11 -- US drilling activity dropped by 10 rotary rigs to 999 units working this week, down from 2,031 in the same period a year ago, said Baker Hughes Inc.
That wiped out the 10-rig gain that last week pushed the US count above 1,000 working units for the first time in 21 weeks. Land rigs sustained the largest loss, of course, down 10 units with 960 still drilling. Inland waters lost 1 rig, with 5 still working. Offshore drilling increased by 1 rig to 32 in the Gulf of Mexico and a total 34 in US waters.
Of the rigs still working, 699 are drilling for natural gas, down 2 from last week. The number drilling for oil fell by 7 to 288. There were 12 rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 4 rigs to 430. Directional drilling declined by 5 to 184 units.
The biggest loss among the top producing states was in Texas, down 15 units to 373. Oklahoma fell 5 to 74. Colorado was down 2 to 43. Alaska lost 1 rig with 7 still drilling. North Dakota and California were unchanged at 47 and 20, respectively. Arkansas and Wyoming each gained 1 rig, raising their respective counts to 43 and 35. New Mexico’s rig count increased by 3 to 49 units. Louisiana was up 5 to 144.
In other states of interest, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Utah increased by 1 rig each to 54, 20, and 15, respectively.
Canada’s rig count grew by 22 to 206 units working, compared with 433 active rigs at this time last year.
Photo from bp.
Photo from Equinor | Stuart Conway.
