By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 10 -- US drilling activity was essentially flat this week with a net gain of only 1 rotary rig for a total of 1,855 working, compared with 1,527 during the comparable period in 2010, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Inland waters activity had the only increase with 17 units drilling, 2 more than the previous week. Land operations declined by 1 rig to 1,805. Offshore drilling was unchanged with 33 rigs active, all in the Gulf of Mexico.
Of the US rigs working, 879 were drilling for natural gas, 8 fewer than the previous week. The number drilling for oil increased by 10 to 969. There were 7 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling gained 14 rigs for a total 1,065. Directional drilling increased by only 1 unit to 231.
New Mexico had the biggest increase in its rig count this week, up 7 units to 85 working. Louisiana followed with a gain of 6 to 172. Wyoming was up 4 to 45, and Pennsylvania increased by 3 rigs to 114 drilling. Arkansas and West Virginia were unchanged at 35 and 18 units, respectively. California and Alaska were down 1 rig each to respective counts of 43 and 6. North Dakota and Colorado each lost 2 rigs to 159 and 69, respectively. Oklahoma dropped 4 units to 166. Texas’ rig count fell by 10 to 833.
Canada’s rotary rig count jumped by 48 to 232 drilling, up from 213 a year ago.
