By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 5 -- US drilling activity increased for the second consecutive week, up by 11 rotary rigs to 1,683 working, vs. 1,078 rigs in the comparable week a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land operations accounted for most of the increase, up 10 rigs to 1,642 drilling. Inland waters activity was unchanged at 18. Offshore drilling increased by 1 rig to 23, all of them in the Gulf of Mexico.
Of the US rigs working, 955 were drilling for natural gas, 12 fewer than the previous week. The number drilling for oil increased by 22 to 718. There were 10 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 24 to 943 units. Directional drilling decreased by 2 to 218.
Among the 12 biggest producing states, New Mexico’s rig count registered the biggest gain, an increase of 6 to 73 units drilling. Texas gained 4 for a total 720 rotary rigs at work. Wyoming was up 3 to 45. Alaska gained 2 for a total of 7 active units. Louisiana, California, and Arkansas added 1 rig each for respective counts of 186, 37, and 36. There were three states with unchanged counts: North Dakota, 138; Colorado, 67; and West Virginia, 24. Pennsylvania was down 2 rigs to 99 still drilling. Oklahoma’s rig count fell by 5 to 142.
Canada’s rotary rig count dropped 16 to 417 still drilling, compared with 233 units working in the same period last year.
159458497 Aleksei Zakirov | Dreamstime.
Photo from Esso SAF.
