By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 7 -- US drilling activity continued its slow rise with 1,492 rotary rigs working this week, 9 more than the previous week and up from 928 a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.
Land operations accounted for the latest gain, up 13 units to 1,430 drilling. Inland waters activity declined by 2 rigs, however, with 12 active. Offshore drilling was down 2 rigs to 49 working in the Gulf of Mexico and a total 50 units in US waters.
Of the US rigs working, 953 were drilling for natural gas, 5 fewer than the previous week. The number drilling for oil increased by 15 to 528. There were 11 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling was down 1 rig to 764. Directional drilling increased by 1 unit to 230.
Texas had the biggest gain among major producing states, up 7 rotary rigs to 634 drilling. New Mexico’s rig count increased by 3 to 59. Colorado was up by 2 to 52. North Dakota, Wyoming, and Alaska added 1 rig each for respective counts of 100, 36, and 10. Pennsylvania was unchanged with 79 rotary rigs drilling. Louisiana, California, and West Virginia were down 1 rig each to 213, 30, and 21, respectively. Oklahoma and Arkansas dropped 2 rigs each to respective counts of 120 and 40.
Canada’s rotary rig count decreased by 5 units to 103 working, up from 63 in the same period last year.
