US drilling rig count jumps 24 units to 1,776

The US drilling rig count jumped by 24 units during the week ended Mar. 15 reaching a total 1,776 rotary rigs working, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. That compares with 1,984 rigs working in the comparable week last year.

Offshore drilling climbed 2 units to 53 rigs. Inland water drilling, at 22 rigs working, was up by 3 units. Land-based drilling made the largest gain, reaching 1,701 rigs working, 19 units higher than a week ago. Of the rigs drilling offshore, 51 were in the Gulf of Mexico, an increase of 2 units from a week ago.

Rigs targeting natural gas increased 24 units to 431. Oil-targeted rigs were unchanged at 1,341. Four rigs were unclassified, unchanged from a week ago.

Rigs drilling directionally were reported at 209, up 14 units from a week ago but 19 fewer than the comparable week last year. The number of rigs drilling horizontally rose 1 to 1,131. This compared with 1,180 rigs working in the comparable week a year ago.

Of the major oil and gas producing states, Louisiana was up 8 rigs to 114; Oklahoma up 7 to 187; Texas up 3 to 838; New Mexico and Pennsylvania, up 2 rigs each to 80 and 74, respectively; and North Dakota and Wyoming, up 1 rig each to respective counts of 177 and 46. Five states were unchanged this week: Colorado, 57; California, 39; Ohio, 27; Arkansas, 15; and Alaska, 10. West Virginia was down 1 unit to 21 rigs working.

Canada’s rig count slumped again this week, down 77 units to 503. This count includes 366 rigs drilling for oil and 137 units drilling for gas. The total was down 14 units from the comparable week last year.