US oil and gas drilling rig activity last week fell by 1 unit to reach a total of 2,000 rigs working. The rig count for the week ended Nov. 23 was up by 313 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 4 rotary rigs to 1,941 drilling. Inland waters activity held steady for 2 weeks at 20 rigs working. Offshore drilling gained 3 units to 39 active.
Of the US rigs working, 1,130 were drilling for oil, up 5 rigs compared with a week ago. Rigs drilling for gas for the week ended Nov. 23 lost 6 units, to 865. There were 5 rotary rigs unclassified, unchanged from the previous week.
Directional drilling activity held unchanged at 213 rigs working. Horizontal drilling was up 8 rigs to 1,155.
Among the top producing US states, Texas was down 8 units to 906 rigs working. West Virginia, at 25, was down 2 units while Wyoming, Louisiana, and New Mexico were down 1 rig each at 52, 158, and 78, respectively.
Oklahoma was up 5 units to 197 rigs working while Pennsylvania and California each were up 4 rigs to 113 and 48, respectively. North Dakota gained 2 rigs to reach 187. Colorado reported a 1-rig gain to reach 81. Arkansas was unchanged from the previous week at 35 rigs working. Alaska also held steady at 6 rigs.
Canada’s rig count was down 3 units to 484 rigs working, which was up 69 units from the same period last year.
