US rotary rig count stays flat

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 8 -- The US rotary rig count was essentially flat this week, adding only 1 unit for a total 1,887 drilling, but up sharply from 1,567 in the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

The lone net gain was in land operations, boosting that activity to 1,838 working rigs. Inland waters activity remained unchanged at 16 rigs. Offshore drilling still had 33 active units, all in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the US rigs working, the number drilling for oil increased by 1 to 1,007. The number drilling for natural gas decreased by 1 to 873. There were 7 rotary rigs unclassified, 1 more than the previous week. Directional drilling was up by 1 rig to 244. Horizontal drilling was unchanged at 1,073.

Among the major producing states, Louisiana’s rig count was up 4 to 169, while Oklahoma increased by 3 to 176. New Mexico and Alaska gained 1 rig each to respective counts of 81 and 6. Colorado, Wyoming, and West Virginia were unchanged at 70, 50, and 20, respectively. Pennsylvania, California, and Arkansas dropped 1 rig each to 115, 45, and 33, in that order. Texas and North Dakota each lost 3 rigs to 850 and 153.

Canada’s rotary rig count escalated by 91 to 331 working. That compared with 348 units drilling in the same period last year.