US drilling continues increasing
US drilling activity continued to increase with 1,506 rotary rigs working this week, 14 more than the previous week and up from 918 in the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 14 -- US drilling activity continued to increase with 1,506 rotary rigs working this week, 14 more than the previous week and up from 918 in the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land operations accounted for this week’s gain, with an increase of 15 rigs to 1,445 drilling. Inland waters activity was unchanged at 12 rigs. Offshore drilling was down 1 to 48 in the Gulf of Mexico and a total of 49 units in US waters.
Of the US rigs working, 951 were drilling for natural gas, 2 fewer than the previous week. The number drilling for oil increased by 16 to 544 units. There were 11 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling increased 12 rigs to 776. Directional drilling declined by 2 to 228.
Texas registered the largest weekly increase among major producing states, up by 9 rotary rigs to 643 working. Oklahoma and New Mexico added 4 each for respective totals of 124 and 63. Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arkansas, Wyoming, and California gained 1 rig each to 80, 53, 41, 37, and 31 respectively. Louisiana was unchanged with 213 rotary rigs drilling. North Dakota and West Virginia were down 1 rig each to 99 and 20. Alaska dropped 2 rigs to 8.
Canada’s rotary rig count increased by 18 to 121 units drilling this week, compared with 68 working in the same period last year.
