The US drilling rig count gained a single unit to 935 rigs working during the week ended Aug. 16, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. The count is down 122 units year-over-year.
Land-based rigs fell 2 units to 907 while rigs drilling in inland waters gained 1 to reach 1 unit working. Two additional rigs were drilling offshore compared with a week ago, bringing that total to 27.
Oil rigs were up 6 units to 770 and gas rigs declined by 4 units to 165.
Horizontal drilling rigs decreased by 2 units to 815. Directional drilling rigs, meanwhile, gained 3 units to 68. Vertical rigs remained unchanged at 52.
Canada reported a 2-unit gain from a week ago to 142 rigs working. A loss of 5 gas rigs to 41 was offset by a gain of 7 oil rigs to 101.
Major states, basins
Six of the major oil and gas producing states experienced gains, headlined by Pennsylvania which added 4 units to 41. Louisiana reported a 3-unit gain to 62 rigs working; New Mexico and Alaska each had 2-unit gains to respective counts of 111 and 10; and North Dakota and Wyoming each gained a single unit to respective totals of 48 and 37.
Three states—Colorado, 32; California, 18; and Utah, 7—were unchanged from last week.
Both dropping 4 units, Texas, 450, and West Virginia, 16, saw the largest drop in rigs of any state this week. Three fewer rigs were drilling in Ohio, bringing the state’s count to 12. Oklahoma dropped a single rig to reach 85 rigs running.
Noteworthy changes this week in major US basins included a 3-unit decline in the Permian to 441 rigs working and a 2-unit decline in the Utica to 13 rigs working. Meanwhile, the Eagle Ford, Williston, Cana Woodford, and DJ-Niobrara increased by 1 unit each to respective counts of 67, 48, 46, and 30.