US drilling increased by 3 rotary rigs to 613 working the week ended Feb. 4, compared with 392 active units in the same period a year ago, said Baker Hughes.
Land operations were up by 5 rigs to 595 working. Offshore drilling declined by 2 rigs to 16 still active, all in the Gulf of Mexico. Inland waters activity was unchanged at 2 units.
Of the rigs still working, 497 were drilling for oil, an increase of 2 from the previous week. Units drilling for gas increased by 1 to 116. Directional drilling decreased by 2 rigs to 34. Horizontal drilling gained 2 to 555.
Texas and North Dakota led the increase among major producing states, up 3 rigs to 287 and 30 drilling, respectively. Alaska increased its rig count by 2 to 8. West Virginia and Ohio each gained a single rig to end the week with 12 rigs running. The gains were offset by 2-rig losses in New Mexico, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. The states ended the week with 92, 55, and 21 rigs working, respectively. Oklahoma and California both dropped a single rig to end the week at 50 and 7 rotary rigs still active.
In other states of interest, rig counts remained unchanged, namely Wyoming, 15; Colorado, 12; and Utah, 10.
Canada’s rig count increased by 1 to 218, up from 171 during the same period last year.
About the Author
Mikaila Adams
Managing Editor, Content Strategist
Mikaila Adams has 20 years of experience as an editor, most of which has been centered on the oil and gas industry. She enjoyed 12 years focused on the business/finance side of the industry as an editor for Oil & Gas Journal's sister publication, Oil & Gas Financial Journal (OGFJ). After OGFJ ceased publication in 2017, she joined Oil & Gas Journal and was later named Managing Editor - News. Her role has expanded into content strategy. She holds a degree from Texas Tech University.