Weekly rig count falls by nine

Ray Tyson

Petroleum News Houston correspondent

The number of rotary rigs operating in North America dropped by nine to 1,688 rigs during the week ending Feb. 20, rig monitor Baker Hughes reported.

Canada lost a dozen rigs to end the week with 574 rigs, still up by 16 compared to the same period a year earlier.

The United States gained three rigs to end the week with a net 1,114 rigs compared to the previous week, and the count was up by 186 versus the year-ago period. The land rig count slipped by one to total 994 rigs, while the offshore increased by three to 100 rigs. Inland waters picked up one rig for a total of 19.

Of the total number of rigs operating in the United States, 954 were drilling for natural gas and 155 for oil, while five were being used for miscellaneous purposes. Of the total, 730 were drilling vertical wells, 289 directional wells and 95 horizontal wells.

Among the leading producing states in the United States, Oklahoma gained two rigs for a total of 145, and Alaska picked up two rigs for a total of 12. New Mexico’s rig count increased by one to 62, and Wyoming’s rose by one to 64 rigs. Texas lost three rigs to total 482, while Louisiana’s count fell by three to 165 rigs. California was unchanged at 20 rigs.