US drilling rig count down 11 units

Dec. 22, 2011
US oil and gas drilling rig activity this week dropped 11 rigs to 2,008 total rigs working. The rig count for the week ended Dec. 22 was up by 294 from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

US oil and gas drilling rig activity this week dropped 11 rigs to 2,008 total rigs working. The rig count for the week ended Dec. 22 was up by 294 from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land drilling operations had the biggest drop from a week ago, declining by 10 units to 1,949 units drilling. Offshore drilling dropped 1 unit to 42 units working while inland waters activity held unchanged with 17 rigs working.

Of the US rigs working, 1,201 were drilling for oil, up 5 rigs compared with a week ago. Rigs drilling for gas for the week ended Dec. 22 fell by 16 rigs to reach 802 rigs. There were 5 rotary rigs unclassified, the same as the previous week.

Directional drilling activity also was unchanged from the previous week at 213. Horizontal drilling dropped by 12 rigs to 1,172 total.

New Mexico made the largest gain among the top producing US states, gaining 4 rigs to total 80 while Wyoming gained 3 rigs to reach a total of 56 units working. Texas gained 1 rig to reach 920 rigs active.

California was the only state to hold steady, having 50 units working for two consecutive weeks.

North Dakota showed the biggest drop, declining by 7 rigs to 181. Down 3 rig each were Colorado, 77, Louisiana, 148, and Oklahoma, 196.

Four states reported a 1-rig decline: Alaska had 9 rigs working, Arkansas, 34, Pennsylvania, 109, and West Virginia, 27.

Canada’s rig count was down 125 units from a week ago at 406, which was up 95 united from the same period a year ago. This week's decrease of 125 rigs is due to rigs shutting down over the Christmas holidays, Baker Hughes said.