US crude oil and natural gas drilling rig activity this week fell by 15 units to reach a total of 2,001 rigs working. This week’s count is up by 324 units from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
The bulk of the decrease was in land operations with a decline of 15 rotary rigs to 1,945 drilling. Inland waters activity increased by 1 to 20 rigs working. Offshore drilling decreased by 1 unit to 36 now active, all in the Gulf of Mexico.
Of the US rigs working, 1,125 were drilling for oil, down 8 rigs compared with a week ago. Rigs drilling for natural gas for the week ended Nov. 18 lost 6 units, to 871. There were 5 rotary rigs unclassified, down 1 unit from last week.
Directional drilling activity was down this week, off 18 units to 213 rigs working. Horizontal drilling was down 5 rigs to 1,147.
Among the top-producing US states, Oklahoma was down 4 units to 192 rigs working. New Mexico, at 79 rigs, was down 3 units. Texas, California, and Alaska were down 2 rigs each at 914, 44, and 6, respectively. Louisiana was down 1 rig to 159. Four states were unchanged from a week ago: North Dakota, 185; Pennsylvania, 109; Arkansas, 35; and West Virginia, 27. Colorado, at 80, and Wyoming, at 53, were the only two states with increases, each up 1 unit from a week ago.
Canada’s rig count was down 13 units to 487 rigs working, which was up 69 units from the same period last year.