US drilling increases

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 8 -- US drilling rebounded this week, up by 16 units to 1,967 rotary rigs working, vs. 1,798 a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land operations accounted for most of the gain, up 12 rigs to 1,870 drilling. Inland water activity increased by 5 rigs to 31. Offshore drilling declined by 1 rig to 66 drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the only active region of US waters.

Of the rigs working, 387 were drilling for oil, down 5 from the previous week. Natural gas drilling increased by 21 units to 1,571. There were 9 rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 7 to 594 rigs. Directional drilling decreased by 15 to 362.

Texas' rig count jumped by 12 to 932 rotary rigs working this week. New Mexico was up 8 to 88. North Dakota and California added 2 rigs each, for respective counts of 73 and 45. Oklahoma increased by 1 to 208. Arkansas and Alaska were unchanged at 56 and 5, respectively. Wyoming was down 3 units to 73. Louisiana and Colorado lost 2 each to 187 and 112 respectively.

Canada's rig count was up 24 units to 475 drilling, vs. 377 during the same period last year.