BHI: US drilling rig count drops 12 units to 1,918

Oct. 17, 2014
The US drilling rig count declined 12 units to settle at 1,918 rigs working during the week ended Oct. 17, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

The US drilling rig count declined 12 units to settle at 1,918 rigs working during the week ended Oct. 17, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

BHI’s average US onshore rig count for the third quarter totaled 1,842 units, up 46 from the second quarter and up 133 from third-quarter 2013.

The US onshore well count for the third quarter totaled 9,566, up 110 from the second quarter and up 491 from third-quarter 2013.

Average US onshore drilling efficiencies dropped to 5.19, primarily caused by fewer wells/rig being generated in the Permian during the quarter, BHI indicated. The Permian accounted for 54% of total US rig count growth year-over-year as of Oct. 6 (OGJ Online, Oct. 10, 2014).

This week’s activity

Land rigs comprised the entirety of this week’s loss, dropping 12 units to 1,847. Offshore rigs edged down 1 unit to 57, but that was offset by a 1-unit gain in rigs drilling in inland waters to 14.

Oil rigs plummeted 19 units to 1,590. Gas rigs climbed 8 units to 328. Rigs considered classified, meanwhile, lost its only unit.

Directional drilling rigs fell 4 units to 203, while horizontal drilling rigs was unchanged from a week ago at 1,353.

Canada’s rig count declined 3 units to 417. Gas rigs dropped 2 units to 186 and oil rigs edged down 1 unit to 231. Compared with this week a year ago, Canada now has 29 more rigs.

Major states, basins

A modest 2-unit gain to 898 overall by Texas represented the largest rise of the major oil-and gas-producing states. Up a unit apiece were Wyoming and West Virginia, which now total 63 and 33, respectively.

Unchanged from a week ago were Louisiana at 111, Colorado at 76, Pennsylvania at 55, Ohio at 42, Kansas at 25, and Utah at 24.

North Dakota, California, and Arkansas each edged down 1 unit to 181, 44, and 10, respectively. Alaska dropped 2 units to 7. New Mexico fell 4 units to 98. Oklahoma lost 7 units to 207.

Light activity overall in the major US basins was headlined by the Mississippian’s 6-unit subtraction to 73. The Eagle Ford and Granite Wash each lost 2 units to 209 and 62, respectively.

Compared with the second quarter, the third-quarter well count in the major US bains was highlighted by a 45-well gain in the Williston, 30-well gain in the DJ-Niobrara, and 18-well gain in the Cana Woodford.

The increase was partially offset by a 27-unit drop in the Eagle Ford, 18-well drop in the Ardmore Woodford, and 12-well drop in the Mississippian.