US rig count still dropping

US drilling activity continued to buckle, with 1,039 rotary rigs working the week ended Mar. 27, 46 fewer than the previous week and down from 1,808 active rigs in this same period in 2008, said Baker Hughes Inc.

March 30, 2009

2 min read

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Mar. 30 -- US drilling activity continued to buckle, with 1,039 rotary rigs working the week ended Mar. 27, 46 fewer than the previous week and down from 1,808 active rigs in this same period in 2008, said Baker Hughes Inc.

That's the lowest US rotary rig count since the week ended May 9, 2003, when there were 1,021 units drilling.

This week the number of land rigs working dropped below 1,000 units for the first time in years, down 45 rigs to 991 still working. Offshore drilling declined by 3 rigs to 40 in the Gulf of Mexico, but among all federal offshore leases, the net loss was 2 rigs to 41. Inland-waters drilling increased by 1 rig to 7.

Among the rigs still working, the number drilling for oil increased by 2 to 217. Those drilling for gas were down 47 units to 810. There were 12 rigs unclassified. Directional drilling increased by 8 rigs to 215. Horizontal drilling was down 20 units to 416.

The biggest loss among major producing states was in Texas, down 17 units with 413 still making hole. Oklahoma dropped 6 to 110, and Louisiana lost 4 to 128. North Dakota and Wyoming lost 2 rigs each to respective counts of 46 and 41. Three states lost 1 rig each: Colorado, down to 55; New Mexico, 38; and Alaska, 9. Arkansas was unchanged at 47. California reported the only gain, up 3 to 22.

In other areas of interest, there were 18 rigs working in Utah, 3 fewer than the previous week. West Virginia was down 2 to 22, and Pennsylvania was unchanged with 27 rigs drilling.

Canada's weekly rig count fell by 55 to 105 working. Last year at this time, it had 171 rigs active.