US rig climbs 21 units to 1,069

Oct. 30, 2009
US drilling activity shot up by 21 units this week with 1,069 rotary rigs working the week ended Oct. 30. This compares with 1,971 rigs drilling in the same period last year, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Oct. 30
-- US drilling activity shot up by 21 units this week with 1,069 rotary rigs working the week ended Oct. 30. This compares with 1,971 rigs drilling in the same period last year, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Much of this week’s gain was in land operations, up 18 rigs to 1,021 units still active. Drilling in inland waters was up 2 units to 13. Offshore drilling was up 1 rig with 35 units working in US waters, including 34 in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the rigs still working, 330 were drilling for oil, 18 more than the previous week. There were 728 rotary rigs drilling for natural gas, 3 more than previous. There were 11 rigs unclassified. Directional drilling was up 1 unit to 180 and horizontal drilling made a 25-unit jump to 497 rigs active.

Among the major producing states, Texas’ weekly rig count increased the most, up 13 to 411. North Dakota and Oklahoma gained 4 rigs each to reach 55 and 77 units, respectively. Colorado was up 3 rigs to 39. Alaska, Louisiana, and New Mexico were all up 1 rig each to respective counts of 6, 164, and 48. Arkansas was unchanged at 38 units working. California lost 1 unit to reach 22 and Wyoming’s count fell 3 to 39.

In other states of interest, Pennsylvania remained unchanged at 59 rigs drilling. Utah was up 4 rigs to 19 and West Virginia was up 1 unit to 22.

The Canadian rig count increased 5 units to 249 rigs working, down from 443 units a year ago.