The US drilling rig count is up 3 units for the second week, reaching 984 rigs working during the week ended Mar. 9, data from Baker Hughes indicate. This total is up 216 units from a year ago.
Offshore units were down 1 unit from last week with 13 rigs working in the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 967 rigs were drilling on land, up 4 from last week. The number of rigs drilling in inland waters remained unchanged at 4 units.
Rigs targeting oil were down 4 units from last week to 796, but up from the 619 rigs drilling for oil this week a year ago. Gas-targeted rigs were up 7 rigs to reach 188 units. This time a year ago, 151 units were drilling for gas.
Among the major oil and gas-producing states, Texas saw the largest increase in rigs week-over-week with a 7-unit gain to reach 490 rigs working. North Dakota is up 3 rigs from last week to reach 50 rigs running. Pennsylvania and Colorado each gained 1 unit to reach respective counts of 42 and 31 rigs running.
Oklahoma dropped 4 units, falling to 120 rigs running, and Alaska lost 2 rigs to reach 9 units. New Mexico, Louisiana, and Utah each dropped 1 unit to reach 87, 58, and 9 rigs running, respectively.
Five states remained unchanged, namely Wyoming, 31; Ohio, 22; West Virginia, 16; California, 14; and Arkansas, 0.
Canada lost 29 rigs to 273 from a week ago. There are 42 fewer rigs working than this week a year ago. Oil-directed rigs decreased 15 units this week to 196, while those targeting gas fell 14 units to 77.