Baker Hughes: US drilling rig count jumps to 1,777

Land rigs accounted entirely for the sharp 23-unit increase in the US drilling rig count during the week ended Jan. 17, Baker Hughes Inc. reported. The US now has 1,777 rigs working.

Rigs drilling offshore and in inland waters each were unchanged from a week ago, remaining at respective totals of 57 and 20.

Oil rigs grew by 15 units to 1,408 while gas rigs gained 8 units to 365. Rigs considered unclassified remained at 4 total, unchanged from last week.

Horizontal drilling rigs claimed 15 more units to reach 1,173 as directional drilling rigs relinquished 5 units to settle at 219.

For the second consecutive week, Canada experienced a large rise in its rig count, leaping 88 units to 565. A vast majority of those units were oil rigs, which rose 79 units to 379. Gas rigs increased 9 units to 186. Canada now has 36 fewer rigs working compared with this week a year ago.

Major states, basins

The state with by far the most rigs reported the most activity for the week, as Texas’s count spiked 16 units to reach a total of 841. Oklahoma, with a 3-rig gain to 186, showed the next-biggest rise this week. Colorado collected 2 more units to reach 61. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Utah, Arkansas, and Alaska each edged up a unit to respective totals of 56, 36, 26, 12, and 11. Unchanged from a week ago were North Dakota at 168, Louisiana at 110, and West Virginia and California, each with 34. Of the three states that lost rigs, Wyoming and Kansas fell by 1 unit each to respective counts of 53 and 29, and New Mexico declined 4 units to 77.

Reflecting the movement of their respective states, the Permian basin boasted a 7-unit rise to 478 as the Barnett suffered a 4-unit loss to 28. Also up was the DJ-Niobrara, collecting 4 units to 55.