BHI: US rig count recoups last week’s losses, jumps to 1,914

The US drilling rig count jumped 18 units to reach 1,914 rigs working, gaining back the 17 units it lost last week plus one, during the week ended Aug. 29, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land rigs, which lost 19 units a week ago, gained 16 back to total 1,838. Offshore rigs were up 2 units to 66. Rigs drilling in inland waters were untouched from a week ago at 10.

Oil rigs increased 11 units to 1,575 while gas rigs increased 8 units to 338. Rigs considered unclassified dropped a unit for the second straight week, and now only 1 unit remains.

Horizontal drilling rigs were up 9 units to 1,330, more than recouping last week’s 8-unit loss. Directional drilling rigs edged up a unit to 210.

For the second consecutive week Canada reported a 4-unit gain to its rig count. A 9-unit jump in gas rigs to 178 was cut into by a 5-unit loss in oil rigs to 231. Compared with this week a year ago, Canada has 10 more units.

Major states, basins

Texas once again led the major oil and-gas producing states in rigs added, claiming 12 more to reach an even 900. Pennsylvania was a distant second with a 5-unit rise to 55. Oklahoma rose 4 units to 212. Colorado and Alaska each edged up a unit to 75 and 7, respectively.

Unchanged from a week ago were North Dakota at 183, Louisiana at 117, New Mexico at 94, Wyoming at 56, California at 46, and Utah at 23.

Edging down a unit each were Ohio, West Virginia, and Arkansas, which settled at respective totals of 41, 29, and 11. Kansas’s 3-unit drop to 25 represented to largest loss in the US.

Notable upward movement in the major US basins included a 4-unit rise in the Marcellus to 80, and 3-unit rises in the Eagle Ford and Mississippian to 203 and 81, respectively.