The US drilling rig count increased 11 units during the week ended July 19 to reach a total of 1,770 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
These gains were seen in land-based rigs, which jumped 11 units this week to reach 1,691. Rigs drilling offshore and in inland waters remained unchanged for the week, at respective counts of 57 and 22. Of the rigs drilling offshore, 54 were operating in the Gulf of Mexico, a decrease of 1 unit from a week ago.
Rigs drilling for oil gained back 4 units to reach 1,395, while those targeting gas gained 7 units to reach 369 rigs working. Six rigs were considered unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.
Rigs drilling horizontally were reported at 1,058, unchanged from a week ago, and 106 fewer than the comparable week last year. Rigs drilling directionally rose 11 units this week to reach 280. This compared with 230 rigs working horizontally in the comparable week a year ago.
Canada’s rig count gained 30 units this week to reach 324. This count includes 214 rigs drilling for oil (down 29 units from a week ago) and 110 units drilling for gas (up 25 units from last week). Canada’s rig count total was down 4 units from the comparable week last year.
Major states, basins
Of the major oil and gas producing states, Texas gained 9 rigs to reach 845. Four states were up 2 rigs each: Oklahoma, 171; Colorado, 68; Wyoming, 53; and West Virginia, 26. Pennsylvania, at 54, and California, at 41, were each up 1 rig. North Dakota was unchanged this week at 174. Seven states lost 1 rig each: Louisiana, 103; New Mexico, 80; Ohio, 34; Utah, 31; Kansas, 28; Arkansas, 13; and Alaska, 8.
Notable changes this week in major US basins include a 5-rig gain the Permian, which reached 468; a 4-rig gain in the Mississippian, which reached 75; and 3-rig gains in both the Marcellus and Granite Wash, which reached respective counts of 78 and 71.
