US rig count drops

Dec. 28, 2009
In an earlier than usual report ahead of the Christmas holidays, Baker Hughes Inc. said Dec. 23 US drilling activity dropped 15 rotary rigs to 1,178 units working this week, compared with 1,721 during the same period in 2008.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 28
-- In an earlier than usual report ahead of the Christmas holidays, Baker Hughes Inc. said Dec. 23 US drilling activity dropped 15 rotary rigs to 1,178 units working this week, compared with 1,721 during the same period in 2008.

Land rig drilling was down by 15 rigs to 1,131 in operation. Inland water activity lost 2 rigs, with 11 still working. However, that was offset by the addition of 2 rigs offshore to 35 in the Gulf of Mexico and a total of 36 on US shelf.

Gas drilling dropped 22 rigs to 751. Drilling for oil increased by 7 units to 416. There were 11 rigs unclassified. Directional drilling dipped by 3 rigs to 199 working. Horizontal drilling was down 8 units to 564.

Louisiana, Oklahoma, and North Dakota were up by 2 rigs each to 179, 95, and 64 units, respectively. Pennsylvania increased by 1 to 63. Unchanged were Texas at 478 and West Virginia at 22. New Mexico, Wyoming, California, and Alaska were down 1 rotary rig each to respective counts of 49, 40, 25, and 8. Colorado and Arkansas were down 2 rigs each to 42 and 35, respectively.

Canada’s weekly rig count fell by 100 units to 268 still drilling, compared with 279 rigs working a year ago.