By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug 13 -- US drilling activity jumped by 35 units to 1,640 rotary rigs working this week, up from 968 in the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
As usual, the bulk of the increase was in land operations with a hike of 32 rotary rigs to 1,608 drilling. Inland waters activity was unchanged with 12 rigs working. Offshore drilling increased by 3 units to 20 now working, all in the Gulf of Mexico.
Among the active rigs, 992 were drilling for natural gas, an increase of 9 this week. There were 639 drilling for oil, up 25. There were 12 rigs unclassified. Directional drilling increased by 1 rig to 222. Horizontal drilling increased by 7 to 885.
Texas had the biggest surge among the major producing states, up by 29 units to 720 drilling. The next largest increase was in Pennsylvania, up 4 to 90. Louisiana and Colorado added 1 rig each for respective totals of 184 and 65. Rig counts were unchanged in New Mexico at 66; Wyoming, 44; Arkansas, 40; and West Virginia, 24.
North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Alaska were down 1 rig each to 132, 126, and 5, respectively. California dropped 2 rigs with 35 still working.
Canada’s weekly count was up 6 with 395 rotary rigs working, up from 170 in the same period last year.