US drilling activity rises again this week

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 22 -- US drilling activity again made gains this week, up by 11 rotary rigs to 1,916 working vs. 1,585 a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land operations had the biggest increase, up 9 rigs to 1,861 active. Inland waters remained unchanged at 18. Offshore drilling was up by 2 rigs to 37, all in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the US rigs working, 1,021 were drilling for oil, 8 more than the previous week. The number of rigs drilling for natural gas increased by 4 to 889. There were 6 rotary rigs unclassified, down 1 rig from last week. Horizontal drilling gained 16 to 1,102. Directional drilling fell by 9 units to 244.

North Dakota had the biggest increase among major producing states, up by 4 rigs to 158 drilling. Texas increased by 3 to 864. Oklahoma gained 2 units to 177. Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and West Virginia each gained 1 rig to 174, 116, 70, and 21, respectively. New Mexico, Wyoming, and Arkansas were unchanged at 82, 51, and 34, in that order. California lost 1 rig to 46, while Alaska was down 4 rigs to just 4 drilling.

Canada’s rotary rig count fell by 18 to 376 units drilling. That compared with 349 active rigs in the same period last year.