By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 3 -- US drilling activity jumped this week with 862 rotary rigs working, 22 more than the previous week but still down sharply from 1,275 a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. officials reported Wednesday ahead of the US July 4 holiday.
All types of drilling operations registered gains, although land operations led with 734 rigs working, up 12. Inland waters activity jumped by 8 rigs to 20. Offshore drilling action increased by 3 rigs to 103 in the Gulf of Mexico, with a net gain of 2 to 108 for the US overall.
The Canadian rig count also increased, by 13 to 263 this week, down from 304 during the same period in 2001.
Natural gas accounted for most of the hike in US activity. The number of rotary rigs drilling for gas this week was up 19 to 716. The number drilling for oil increased by 2 to 144. There were 2 rigs unclassified.
Directional drilling activity increased by 9 rigs to 252, but horizontal drilling projects were down 4 rigs to 64.
Louisiana led the rebound, up 15 rigs—exactly the number it had lost in the previous 3 consecutive weeks—to 163, still 3 short of its May 31 total. Texas was up 12 to 335. New Mexico added 2 rigs, with 48 working this week, and California increased by 1 to 23. Alaska was unchanged, with 12 rotary rigs working. Wyoming was down 1 to 44, and Oklahoma's rig count dipped by 2 to 102.
