US drilling activity decreased by 7 units to 618 rotary rigs working this week, down from 770 during the same period a year ago, officials at Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday.
Onshore operations accounted for the bulk of that loss, down by 6 rigs to 594. There were also 3 fewer rigs drilling in the Gulf of Mexico to leave 19 working for the week and 21 in US waters as a whole.
The declines were partially offset by a 2-rig gain in inland waters to 3 working this week.
Canada's rig count was unchanged at 196 units, but down 13 from the 209 rigs working this time last year.
Among US rigs, those drilling for oil decreased by 8 to 496, while those drilling for gas increased by a single unit to 118. There were 4 rigs unclassified, unchanged from the prior week. Directional drilling increased by 1 to 54 rigs this week; horizontal drilling decreased by 9 to 549 rigs.
Texas saw its rig count decline by 7 rigs, ending the week with a rig count of 304. Pennsylvania dropped 2 rigs to end the week with 20 working.
Five states were down a single rig this week, namely Louisiana, 41; Oklahoma, 36; North Dakota, 29; Wyoming, 17; and Utah, 13.
New Mexico added 4 rigs to hit 104 rigs working this week. Ohio gained 2 rigs to end the week with 12. West Virginia added a single unit to exit the week with 8 rigs running.
The global rig count for September was 1,777, up 17 from the 1,760 units in September, and down 116 units from the 1,893 rigs working during the same period a year ago. Excluding the US and Canada, the international rig count for October increased by 22 units from September to 962.