The US drilling rig count climbed by 4 units during the week ended Jan. 25, with the total number of rotary rigs reaching 1,753, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. This compares with 2,008 rigs working in the comparable week last year.
Offshore drilling reached 52 rigs, up 1 unit from a week ago while rigs drilling in inland waters declined by 1 rig. Land-based drilling rose 4 units to 1,683.
Of the rigs drilling offshore, 51 were in the Gulf of Mexico, a 3-rig gain from a week ago.
Rigs targeting natural gas climbed by 5 units to 434. Rigs drilling for oil fell by 1 unit to 1,315. There were 4 rigs unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.
Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 181, up 1 unit from a week ago and 36 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally held constant at 1,127. This compares with 1,185 rigs drilling horizontally in the comparable week a year ago.
Of the major oil and gas producing states, Texas was up 6 units to 819; Oklahoma, up 8 to 190; Colorado, up 4 to 55; and Louisiana, up 3 to 109.
Alaska was down by 5 to 6 rigs working while West Virginia’s count dipped by 3 rigs to 24 rigs working. Meanwhile, North Dakota was down 1 rig to 178 total, and Pennsylvania was down 1 rig to 70 rigs total.
States showing no change for the week were Arkansas at 17; California, 31; New Mexico, 79; and Wyoming, 48.
Canada’s rig count rose again this week, up 20 units to 621. This count includes 474 rigs drilling for oil and 147 units drilling for gas. The total was unchanged from the comparable week last year.