Baker Hughes: US drilling rig count rebounds to 1,809

The US drilling rig count gained back the 6 units it lost last week to reach 1,809 rigs working during the week ended Mar. 28, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Rigs on land claimed 11 more units to reach 1,741, more than offsetting the 5-unit loss in offshore rigs to 50. Rigs drilling in inland waters were unchanged from a week ago at 18.

Oil rigs increased 14 units to 1,487 while gas rigs decreased 8 units to 318. Rigs considered unclassified were unchanged at 4.

Horizontal drilling rigs gained 5 units to 1,211. Directional drilling rigs edged up 1 unit to 214.

In Canada, another week brought a precipitous decline in its overall rig count, as a 91-unit subtraction shrunk the country’s total to 298. Oil rigs plunged 55 units to 155 while gas rigs took a 36-unit loss to 143. Despite the recent declines, Canada still has 52 more rigs than the comparable week a year ago.

Major states, basins

With an 8-unit gain to 866, Texas boasted the largest jump of the major oil- and gas-producing states. It was followed by Oklahoma with a 5-unit rise to 188; West Virginia and Alaska with 3-unit increases to 26 and 14, respectively; and New Mexico and Colorado with 2-unit gains to 88 and 63, respectively.

Unchanged from a week ago were Kansas and Arkansas with respective totals of 29 and 12.

North Dakota, Ohio, and Utah each dropped a unit to 178, 38, and 27, respectively; Wyoming fell 3 units to 50; California relinquished 4 units to 39; Pennsylvania lost 5 units to 51.

The Permian’s 5-unit jump to 518 led all of the major US basins. The neighboring Eagle Ford followed closely behind with a 4-unit increase to 223. The Marcellus and Cana Woodford were each down 2 units to respective totals of 76 and 30.