By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 13 -- US drilling activity continued to increase for the fourth week, up by 23 rotary rigs to 1,101 working but still well below the 1,941 units drilling during the comparable week a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
As usual, land operations accounted for most of the increase with the addition of 22 rigs for a total of 1,051 making hole. Inland waters activity was unchanged with 13 rigs working. US offshore increased by 1 rig to 37, including 35 in the Gulf of Mexico.
Of the US rigs working, 728 were drilling for natural gas, 6 fewer than the previous week. The number drilling for oil increased by 29 to 361. There were 12 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 5 rigs to 512. Directional drilling gained 8 to 194.
Texas had the biggest gain among the major producing states, up 25 rigs to 432 drilling. Alaska increased by 2 to 8, while California gained 1 to 25. Unchanged were North Dakota, 54 rigs working; Colorado and Arkansas, each with 40 active rigs; and Wyoming at 39. Oklahoma was down by 1 rig to 77 drilling. Louisiana and New Mexico each lost 3 rigs for respective counts of 166 and 48.
In other states of interest, Pennsylvania’s rig count increased by 3 to 62. Utah added 1 for a total of 19. West Virginia lost 2 to 20.
Canada’s rig count increased by 30 to 263 this week, compared with 418 rigs working in the same period last year.