US drilling rig count unchanged at 1,864 units

Sept. 14, 2012
The US drilling rig count remained unchanged during the week ended Sept. 14, with the total number of rotary rigs in the US remaining at 1,864, reported Baker Hughes Inc. This compares with 1,985 rigs working in the comparable week last year.

The US drilling rig count remained unchanged during the week ended Sept. 14, with the total number of rotary rigs in the US remaining at 1,864, reported Baker Hughes Inc. This compares with 1,985 rigs working in the comparable week last year.

Rig counts were unchanged for land drilling, at 1,794 units; inland waters, at 19 units; and offshore, at 51 units. There were 50 rigs drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the recent week’s total, rigs targeting oil reached 1,413, an increase of 4 units from a week ago. Gas rigs decreased, falling 4 units to 448 rigs working. Three active rotaries were unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 207, down 7 units from a week ago and 34 fewer than the same week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally decreased by 2 units to 1,133 compared with 1,137 in the comparable week a year ago.

Texas saw the biggest gains this week, reaching 878 rigs working, up 9 units from a week ago. Colorado gained 3 units, reaching 62 rigs, and Oklahoma edged up 2 units to reach 201 units. There were four states unchanged from last week: West Virginia, 27; Ohio, 18; Arkansas, 17; and Alaska, 6. Pennsylvania, at 61 rigs working, was down 1 unit. Three states lost 3 rigs each: North Dakota, 181; New Mexico, 87; and Wyoming, 49. Rig counts for Louisiana and California each fell 4 units to reach 116 and 42, respectively.

Canada’s rig count was 354, including 256 rigs drilling for oil and 98 units drilling for gas. The total was up 9 units from the previous week but down 148 units from last year’s comparable week.

Contact Steven Poruban at [email protected].