The US drilling rig count reached 995 after a 5-unit gain during the week ended Mar. 23, data from Baker Hughes indicate. This total is up 186 units from a year ago.
Offshore units were unchanged from last week with 13 rigs working in the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 979 rigs were drilling on land, up another 6 units from last week (OGJ Online, Mar. 16, 2018). The number of rigs drilling in inland waters was down 1 unit to 3.
Rigs targeting oil were up 4 units to 804 and were also up 152 units from the 652 rigs drilling for oil this week a year ago. Gas-targeted rigs were up 1 unit to reach 190. This time a year ago, 155 units were drilling for gas.
Among the major oil and gas-producing states, Texas saw the largest increase in rigs vs. last week, gaining 7 units to reach 499 rigs working. Colorado and Alaska were each up 2 units to respective counts of 31 and 9.
Eight states were unchanged from last week. These were New Mexico, 88; Louisiana, 57; North Dakota, 53; Pennsylvania, 40; Wyoming, 30; West Virginia, 17; California, 14; and Arkansas, 1.
Ohio, down 1 rig from last week, reached 22. Utah, at 7 rigs working, was down 2 units. Oklahoma reached 120 units working, down 4.
Canada lost 58 rigs to 161 working from a week ago. There are 24 fewer rigs working than this week a year ago. Oil-directed rigs decreased 51 units this week to 93, while those targeting gas fell 7 units to 68.
