US drilling rig count falls another 15 units

US crude oil and natural gas drilling rig activity this week fell by 15 units to reach a total of 2,001 rigs working. This week’s count is up by 324 units from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Nov. 18, 2011
2 min read

US crude oil and natural gas drilling rig activity this week fell by 15 units to reach a total of 2,001 rigs working. This week’s count is up by 324 units from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

The bulk of the decrease was in land operations with a decline of 15 rotary rigs to 1,945 drilling. Inland waters activity increased by 1 to 20 rigs working. Offshore drilling decreased by 1 unit to 36 now active, all in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the US rigs working, 1,125 were drilling for oil, down 8 rigs compared with a week ago. Rigs drilling for natural gas for the week ended Nov. 18 lost 6 units, to 871. There were 5 rotary rigs unclassified, down 1 unit from last week.

Directional drilling activity was down this week, off 18 units to 213 rigs working. Horizontal drilling was down 5 rigs to 1,147.

Among the top-producing US states, Oklahoma was down 4 units to 192 rigs working. New Mexico, at 79 rigs, was down 3 units. Texas, California, and Alaska were down 2 rigs each at 914, 44, and 6, respectively. Louisiana was down 1 rig to 159. Four states were unchanged from a week ago: North Dakota, 185; Pennsylvania, 109; Arkansas, 35; and West Virginia, 27. Colorado, at 80, and Wyoming, at 53, were the only two states with increases, each up 1 unit from a week ago.

Canada’s rig count was down 13 units to 487 rigs working, which was up 69 units from the same period last year.

About the Author

Steven Poruban

Managing Editor-News

Steven Poruban was hired as staff writer for Oil & Gas Journal in October 1998. Two years later, he was promoted to senior staff writer. In October 2004, he was then promoted to senior editor. He now serves as managing editor-news.

Before working for OGJ, Steven was a reporter for Gas Daily and editor of Gas Transportation Report. He attended Boston University then transferred to and graduated from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., with a BA in English in 1993.

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