U.S., Canadian rig count jumps by 36 to 1,458, with 1,003 U.S. land rigs working

Petroleum News

The North American rotary rig count ended the year on a positive note, jumping by 36 to 1,458 rigs for the week ending Dec. 31, according to rig monitor Baker Hughes.

The number of rigs operating in Canada compared to the previous week increased by 24 to 332 rigs, down by 12 rigs vs. the same weekly period a year earlier.

In the United States, the rig count compared to the prior week rose a total of 12 to 1,126 rigs, up by 289 rigs versus the same week a year earlier.

U.S. land rigs alone increased by 10 to 1,003 during the final week of 2003, up by 301 rigs vs. the year-ago period. However, while inland water rigs increased by two to 19 from the previous week, they were down by five compared to a year earlier. And offshore rigs, unchanged from the prior week at 104, were down by seven compared to the year-ago period.

During the last week of the year in the United States there were 966 rigs drilling for natural gas and 158 for oil, while two were being used for miscellaneous purposes. Of the rigs operating, 745 were drilling vertical wells, 283 directional wells and 98 horizontal wells.

Among the leading producing states in the United States, New Mexico’s rig count increased by eight to 75, Wyoming’s rose by four to 66 rigs, Oklahoma’s increased by four to 145 rigs and California’s increased by three to 26 rigs.

However, the number of rigs operating in Texas during the week ending Dec. 31 fell by two to 478 rigs, while the number of rigs operating in Louisiana slipped by one to 158 rigs. Alaska’s rig count was unchanged at 12.