The US rig count surged above 500 units working, gaining 11 rigs to reach a total of 508 during the week ending Sept. 9, according to Baker Hughes Inc. data. This total was still 340 units lower than a year ago.
Drilling rigs working in the Gulf of Mexico increased 8 units to 18. Rigs targeting oil reached 414 units, up 7, and those drilling for natural gas hit 92, up 4 units. Rigs considered unclassified were unchanged from a week ago at 2 units.
Among the major oil and gas-producing states, Louisiana saw an 8-unit jump to 43 this week. Texas, reaching 245, was up 4 units. Up 2 units each were West Virginia and Utah with respective counts of 10 and 5. Ohio was up 1 unit to 14. Six states were unchanged this week: North Dakota, 28; Pennsylvania, 21; Colorado, 19; Wyoming, 13; California, 5; and Alaska, 4.
New Mexico, at 28 units, was down 2 rigs; Oklahoma, down 4 units, reached 62 rigs.
Canada’s rig count fell 3 units this week to 134. This count was down 51 units from a year ago. Canadian rigs targeting oil reached 74, down 3 units, and those drilling for gas were down 1 unit to 59.
