Canada posts another double-digit rig decrease

March 24, 2023
The rig count in Canada fell by 42 rigs, according to Baker Hughes data. The drop follows a dip of 16 last week and a 23-rig drop the week before.

The rig count in Canada fell by 42 rigs, according to Baker Hughes data. The drop follows a dip of 16 last week and a 23-rig drop the week before. A total of 165 rigs were running in Canada this week, still up 25 from the year-ago level of 140. Oil-directed rigs led the decrease as 36 fewer rigs were drilling for oil in Canada this week to reach a count of 86. Gas rigs fell by 6 to 79.

In the US, 4 additional rigs were running for a total of 758. The count is up 88 from the 670 rigs running in the US this time last year.

US oil-directed rigs increased by 4 units to 593, up 62 from this time in 2022. Gas-directed rigs were unchanged at 162. A year ago, 137 units were drilling for gas in the US.

The number of rigs drilling on land in the US was up 3 units from last week at 739. Horizontal rigs were unchanged at 692 while vertical rigs increased by 1 to reach 16 for the week. Three more rigs were drilling directionally, bringing the count to 50.

New Mexico’s rig count increased by 2 to reach 108 rigs working this week. Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado each gained a single rig to reach counts of 372, 58, and 20, respectively.

Oklahoma dropped a rig to reach 61 units running this week.

One additional rig was drilling in the Gulf of Mexico for a total of 17, nudging the overall US offshore count to 18. The number of rigs drilling in inland waters was unchanged at 1.