The US drilling rig count decreased by 11 units to reach 497 rigs working for the week ended Sept. 3, according to Baker Hughes data. The count is up 241 units from the 256 rigs working this time a year ago.
The number of rigs drilling on land was up 5 units week-over-week with a total of 495. The number of rigs drilling offshore was down 13 to 2. The number of rigs drilling in inland waters fell by 3 to zero. There were no rigs working in the US Gulf of Mexico by Baker Hughes’ count. The oil and gas industry worked to secure and evacuate infrastructure ahead of Hurricane Ida and remains in the initial assessment stage of recovery.
A Sept. 3 update from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement based on operator reports estimated that about 93.33% of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico remains shut in and about 89.25% of the gas production in the Gulf of Mexico remains shut in.
US oil-directed rigs were down 16 from last week at 394 units. This time a year ago, 181 units were drilling for oil. Rigs targeting gas increased by 5 to 102, 30 more than were drilling for gas at this time a year ago.
Of the major oil and gas-producing states, Louisiana saw the largest and only decrease. Fourteen fewer rigs were drilling at the end of the week following Hurricane Ida’s landfall Sunday, Aug. 29, bringing the state’s total to 35 rigs running for the week.
New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Alaska each gained a rig to reach 82, 32, and 5 rigs running, respectively.
Nine states remained unchanged this week, namely North Dakota, 22; Pennsylvania 19; Wyoming, 18; Ohio, 12; Colorado 11; Utah, 11; West Virginia, 9 California, 6; and Alaska, 4.
Canada’s rig count increased by 5 units to 152 rigs drilling for the week. The count is 100 more than the 52 units drilling this week a year ago. At 92 units, Canada’s oil-directed rig count increased by 7 rigs from last week. The gas-directed rig count in Canada decreased by 2 rigs to 60 rigs running for the week.