Baker Hughes: US rig count tumbles 18 units to 868 | Oil & Gas Journal

The US drilling rig count tumbled 18 units to reach 868 rigs working for the week ended Sept. 20. Oil rigs were down 14 to 719 rigs working for the week while rigs targeting natural gas fell 5 units to reach 148, according to Baker Hughes data.

The US rig count was down 185 rigs from last year’s count of 1,053, with oil rigs down 147 and gas rigs down 38.

The offshore rig count was down 1 rig for the week, reaching 25 yet was up 5 rigs year-over-year.

The Canadian rig count was down 15 rigs from last week to 119, with oil rigs down 11 to 82 and gas rigs down 4 to 37.

The Canadian rig count was down 78 rigs from last year’s count of 197, with oil rigs down 53 and gas rigs down 25, Baker Hughes said.

More in Drilling Operations

Baker Hughes: Canada gains 17 oil rigs for the week

Canada has added 17 rigs for the week ended Oct. 4, according to Baker Hughes data. While the jump puts the total number of rigs running at 144, the count is less than the 182 units drilling this week a year ago.

Istmo Salinas basin drilling program begins

An exploration drilling program in shallow water in the Salinas del Istmo basin in the southeast Gulf of Mexico has begun, partner Citla Energy reported.

Transocean says semisubmersible features hybrid storage

Transocean Ltd. has deployed what it calls the first hybrid energy storage system aboard a floating drilling unit. The system is on the Transocean Spitsbergen harsh-environment, ultradeepwater, semisubmersible drilling rig.

Shell hires Dolphin Drilling for Knarr field work off Norway

AS Norske Shell has hired Dolphin Drilling’s Borgland Dolphin semisubmersible drilling rig for drilling and completion of a gas production well in Knarr field.

Petro Rio begins Phase 3 of Polvo revitalization plan

Petro Rio SA has begun the third phase of its revitalization plan for Polvo oil field in the Campos basin off Brazil. For the phase, the company has mapped 22 prospects with oil potential for a new drilling campaign.

Baker Hughes: Canadian rig count up 8 units to 127

Canada has added 8 rigs for the week ended Sept. 27, according to Baker Hughes data. With 127 rigs running, the count is 51 fewer than the number of rigs drilling this week a year ago.

Pharis Energy lets conceptual study contract to RDS

Pharis Energy has let a contract to KCA Deutag unit RDS to carry out a conceptual study in the UK North Sea. Pharis aims to initiate the first major offshore steam flood project in the world and is exploring ways to maximize oil recovery in Pilot field.

Timor Resources to drill five wells onshore East Timor

Private Queensland company Timor Resources plans to drill five onshore wells in East Timor in 2020, the first such program in the country in nearly 50 years. The last program was in 1972.

Matador to drill new Delaware basin leases

Matador Resources Co., Dallas, will drill six wells with 2-mile laterals in the Antelope Ridge area of Lea County, NM, under permits newly received from the US Bureau of Land Management.

190920 Inpex Ichthys Phase2 Map

Inpex submits Ichthys Phase 2 drilling plan

Inpex Corp. of Japan has submitted its environmental plan for the Ichthys gas field Phase 2 drilling campaign offshore Australia to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.

US House bill introduced to raise federal onshore leasing bonds

US Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would increase bonds that oil and gas developers must post before being allowed to drill on federal onshore public lands.

Baker Hughes: US rig count falls 12 units to 886

The US drilling rig count dropped 12 units to reach 886 rigs working for the week ended Sept. 13. The count is down 169 units from the 1,055 rigs working this time a year ago, according to Baker Hughes data.

Vaalco well to appraise deeper Etame zone

Vaalco Energy Inc., Houston, has started a drilling program in Etame oil field offshore Gabon that will include appraisal of a reservoir below existing production.

Baker Hughes: International rig count down 24 units in August

The international rig count for July reached 1,138 units, a decline of 24 from July and an increase of 130 from August 2018, according to Baker Hughes data. The international offshore rig count for August was 244, down 11 units from July.