US drilling rig count falls 10 units

US crude oil and natural gas drilling rig activity this week decreased by 10 units to reach a total of 2,016 rigs working. This week’s count is up by 331 units from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Nov. 11, 2011
2 min read

US crude oil and natural gas drilling rig activity this week decreased by 10 units to reach a total of 2,016 rigs working. This week’s count is up by 331 units from the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Rigs drilling on land this week totaled 1,960 units, taking a hit with 14 fewer rigs working. The total of offshore rigs was up 3 units to 37 working. Inland water rigs also inched up, climbing 1 unit to 19 rigs.

Of the US rigs working, 1,133 were drilling for oil, up 21 rigs compared with a week ago. Rigs drilling for natural gas for the week ended Nov. 11 lost 30 units, to 877 rigs.

There were 6 rotary rigs unclassified, down 1 unit from last week.

Directional drilling activity was down this week, off 12 units to 231 rigs working. Horizontal drilling was down 5 rigs to 1,152.

Among the top-producing US states, Louisiana, at 160 units, was up 6 rigs from a week ago. Oklahoma was up 1 unit to 196 working. Four states were unchanged from a week ago: New Mexico, 82; California, 46; Arkansas, 35; and West Virginia, 27. Colorado and Alaska lost 1 unit each to 79 and 8 units working, respectively. Texas, at 916, and Pennsylvania, at 109, were both off 3 rigs. North Dakota lost 4 rigs to 185 units, and Wyoming was down 6 to 52 rigs working.

Canada’s rig count gained 24 units to an even 500 rigs working, which was up 71 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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