The US drilling rig count decreased 11 units during the week ended Dec. 7, with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,800, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 1,987 rigs working in the comparable week last year.
Land-based drilling rigs fell 9 units to 1,732, while offshore rigs dropped 2 to 48 units working. Rigs drilling in inland waters were unchanged this week at 20 units. Of those rigs drilling offshore, 48 were in the Gulf of Mexico, unchanged from a week ago.
Rigs targeting natural gas fell 7 units, reaching 417. Rigs targeting oil decreased by 4 units to 1,382. There was 1 rig unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.
Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 191, down 2 rigs from a week ago and 26 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally was down by 7 rigs, reaching 1,103. This compares with 1,151 in the comparable week a year ago.
Of the major oil and gas producing states, Alaska lost 4 rigs to reach 4 units working. North Dakota was down 3 rigs this week to 173. Texas and New Mexico were both off 2 units to respective counts of 853 and 73. Louisiana and Ohio, at 117 and 25, respectively, were down 1 rig each. Four states were unchaged: Oklahoma, 188; Wyoming, 49; California, 31; and West Virginia, 26. Three states were up 1 rig each, namely Pennsylvania, 71; Colorado, 57; and Arkansas, 17.
Canada’s rig count was 406, up 7 units from a week ago. This count includes 281 rigs drilling for oil and 125 units drilling for gas. The total was down 98 units from the comparable week last year.
