US drilling activity increased by 2 units to 618 rotary rigs working this week, down from 782 the same period a year ago, officials at Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday.
Oil operations accounted for the gain, up 6 rigs (to 500). Gas-directed rigs fell 4, to 114, with unclassified rigs steady at 4.
Canada's rig count lost 3, dropping to 196 units, down 5 from the 201 rigs working this time last year.
Directional drilling decreased by 1 to 52 rigs this week; horizontal drilling increased by 2 to 553 rigs.
Texas’s rig count ended the weak unchanged at 302. Pennsylvania was also steady at 19. Colorado, New Mexico, and North Dakota added 2 rigs each and Wyoming lost 2 to fall to 16.
