US crude oil and natural gas drilling rig activity this week increased by 5 units to reach a total of 2,026 rigs working. This week’s count is up by 343 units from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
All of the gains were on land, with land-based rigs up 6 units to 1,974 drilling. The total of offshore rigs was down 1 unit to 34 working. Inland water rigs remained unchanged this week at 18 units.
Of the US rigs working, 1,112 were drilling for oil, up 34 rigs compared with a week ago. Rigs drilling for natural gas for the week ended Nov. 4 lost 27 units, to 907 rigs.
There were 7 rotary rigs unclassified, down 2 units from last week.
Directional drilling activity remained unchanged at 243 this week. Horizontal drilling, meanwhile, was up 2 rigs to 1,157.
Among the top-producing US states, Louisiana, at 154 units, was up 4 rigs from a week ago. Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming were up 2 units each, with respective counts of 919, 195, and 58. Colorado and Alaska both gained 1 rig to 80 and 9, respectively.
Unchanged from a week ago were North Dakota, 189, and West Virginia, 27. New Mexico was down 1 rig to 82; Arkansas was down 2 rigs to 35; and Pennsylvania, at 112, and California, at 46, each were down 4 rigs.
Canada’s rig count fell 23 units to 476 rigs working, which was up 59 units from the same period last year.
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.
