BHI: US land drilling down 35 units in most recent rig count

The US drilling rig count dropped 35 units to settle at 1,840 units working during the week ended Dec. 26, pushed down entirely by losses on land, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

During the week, US land rigs fell 35 units to 1,770. Offshore rigs held steady at 58 units. Rigs drilling in inland waters also held steady at 12 units last week.

Oil rigs lost 37 units to 1,499. Gas rigs gained 2 units to 340. Rigs considered unclassified remained at 1 unit working.

Horizontal drilling rigs declined 6 units to 1,350. Directional drilling rigs dropped 14 units to 181.

Canada now has 256 rigs working, 7 fewer than this week a year ago. Of the 135 units lost this past week, 96 were oil rigs and 39 were gas rigs, which respectively total 94 and 162.

Major states, basins

California took a 17-rig hit to reach 28 units. Texas lost nearly as many rigs, down 16 to 852. North Dakota and West Virginia each lost 3 units to reach respective counts of 169 and 28. Five states were down 1 unit each: New Mexico reached 102 units; Wyoming, 57; Pennsylvania, 54; Kansas, 29; and Alaska, 10. Utah and Arkansas both held steady at 23 and 12 rigs working, respectively. Colorado was up 1 unit to 69; Ohio was up 2 units to 47; and Oklahoma gained 4 rigs to 209.

The Marcellus lost 4 units to reach 78 rigs. The Permian dropped 3 units to 536 rigs working.