Baker Hughes: US drilling rig count declines to 1,857

The US drilling rig count dropped 4 units to 1,857 rigs working during the week ended May 23, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Baker Hughes also recently noted, however, that the US rig count in April reached its highest monthly total since September 2012, tallying 1,835, an increase of 32 units from March and 80 units from April 2013.

Land-based rigs fell 8 units to 1,783 as offshore rigs gained 3 units to 60. Rigs drilling in inland waters edged up 1 unit to 14.

Oil rigs subtracted 3 units to 1,528 and gas rigs lost 1 unit to 325. Rigs considered unclassified were unchanged from a week ago at 4.

Horizontal drilling rigs relinquished 5 units to 1,243. Directional drilling rigs, meanwhile, gave up 2 units to 205 rigs working during the last week.

Canada’s rig count edged up a single unit to a total of 154. A 3-unit rise in oil rigs to 65 overcame a 2-unit drop in gas rigs to 89. Canada now has 23 more rigs compared with this week a year ago.

Major states, basins

Just three of the major US oil- and gas-producing states reported gains during the last week, and Alaska’s 2-unit gain to 10 led them all. Adding 1 unit each, Louisiana’s and Colorado’s totals reached 114 and 66, respectively.

Unchanged from a week ago were North Dakota at 174, Pennsylvania at 60, California at 48, Wyoming at 45, Ohio at 39, Utah at 27, and West Virginia at 25.

Arkansas was down 1 unit to 11. Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas each subtracted 2 units to respective totals of 889, 87, and 32. With a 4-unit loss, Oklahoma’s total settled at 191.

Activity in the major US basins was headlined by a 6-unit fall in the Eagle Ford to 213 and a 2-unit gain in the Barnett to 27.