US drilling declines in final week of 2004

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Jan. 3 -- US drilling activity dipped slightly in the final week of 2004, down by 14 units with 1,243 rotary rigs still working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported Dec. 31. That was still up sharply from 1,126 active rigs at the same period a year ago.

Land operations accounted for the bulk of the loss, down by 12 units with 1,117 rigs working. Inland waters activity was unchanged, with 21 rotary rigs drilling. Offshore operations dipped by 2 rigs to 105 working in US waters as a whole, including a decline of 1 to 100 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

Canada's rig weekly count slipped by 25 units to 346 this week, up from 332 a year ago.