The US drilling rig count gained 14 units to 728 during the week ended May 20, according to Baker Hughes data. Thirteen of the units to come online are oil-directed.
The count is up 273 rigs from the 455 running this time last year.
With a 13-rig gain, the count of active oil-directed rigs now totals 576, an increase of 220 from a year ago.
Gas-directed rigs edged up a unit to 150, 51 more than were drilling in the same period in 2021.
Land-based rigs jumped 14 units to 709. Thirteen of those were horizontal, bringing the total horizontal rig count to 664 for the week, up 252 from a year ago. Directional drilling rigs edged up a unit to 39.
Of the major oil and gas producing states, none dropped rigs this week.
A main hub of US oil and gas activity, Texas posted a 12-rig increase to 357 rigs working, up 143 units from the year-ago period.
The Permian rose 8 units to 343. Active rigs in the Barnett were unchanged at 4, and the Eagle Ford gained 3 units to 65.
Canada’s count was unchanged at 88 rigs running, up 30 from the year-ago period. Oil-directed rigs rose 3 units to 40 while gas-directed rigs decreased 3 units to 48.
