US crude oil and natural gas drilling rig activity this week increased by 5 units to reach a total of 2,026 rigs working. This week’s count is up by 343 units from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
All of the gains were on land, with land-based rigs up 6 units to 1,974 drilling. The total of offshore rigs was down 1 unit to 34 working. Inland water rigs remained unchanged this week at 18 units.
Of the US rigs working, 1,112 were drilling for oil, up 34 rigs compared with a week ago. Rigs drilling for natural gas for the week ended Nov. 4 lost 27 units, to 907 rigs.
There were 7 rotary rigs unclassified, down 2 units from last week.
Directional drilling activity remained unchanged at 243 this week. Horizontal drilling, meanwhile, was up 2 rigs to 1,157.
Among the top-producing US states, Louisiana, at 154 units, was up 4 rigs from a week ago. Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming were up 2 units each, with respective counts of 919, 195, and 58. Colorado and Alaska both gained 1 rig to 80 and 9, respectively.
Unchanged from a week ago were North Dakota, 189, and West Virginia, 27. New Mexico was down 1 rig to 82; Arkansas was down 2 rigs to 35; and Pennsylvania, at 112, and California, at 46, each were down 4 rigs.
Canada’s rig count fell 23 units to 476 rigs working, which was up 59 units from the same period last year.