US, Canadian drilling activity rises

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Jan. 8 -- US drilling activity increased for the second week, up by 31 rotary rigs to 1,220 working this week, adding to the 11-rig gain last week but still down from the 1,589 rigs working in the comparable period in 2009, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land operations accounted for most of the gain, up by 28 units to 1,167 rotary rigs drilling. Inland waters activity was unchanged at 11 rigs. US offshore drilling increased by 3 units to 41 in the Gulf of Mexico and a total of 42 rigs in US waters.

Of the US rigs working, those drilling for natural gas increased by 22 to 781. The number drilling for oil was up 9 to 427. There were 12 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased by 12 rigs to 583. Directional drilling was down 1 unit to 199.

Texas had the largest increase among major producing states, up 13 to 498 rigs working this week. Louisiana and Oklahoma both increased by 3 units, to 188 and 98, respectively. Up 2 rigs each were Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania for respective totals of 36, 43, 67, and 66. New Mexico added 1 rig to 50 working. Alaska, California, and West Virginia were unchanged at 7, 26, and 22, respectively. Wyoming was down by 1 rig to 38.

Canada’s rotary rig count shot up 133 units to 342 working, but this was down from 360 active rigs in the same period a year ago.