21 January 2013 – The number of rigs drilling for oil and gas in the US feel by 12 this week for a total of 1749, according to data from Houston-based services giant Baker Hughes.
Oil rigs took a hit of seven for a total of 1316 while gas rigs lost 5 to total 429.
While rigs drilling for oil enjoyed a healthy on-year increase through much of 2012, that premium dropped to 93 this week compared to a year earlier. This week’s tally marked a 10-month low.
Gas rigs this week were off by 351 from a year ago and is near a 13-month low.
Texas took the biggest hit this week, losing 11 rigs for a total of 813.
Many of those came from the Permian Basin in West Texas, which lost about six rigs this week for a total of 266. The Eagle Ford in South Texas was up about five on 88. The Barnett in North Texas shed about four rigs for a total of 59.
New Mexico was down two for 79.
Louisiana, home of the Haynesville and Tuscaloosa Marine shales, lost a total of one rig for 106. Arkansas was up two for 17. Mississippi was flat on 11.
Oklahoma was down three rigs for 182. Kansas was down one for 29.
In the Denver-Julesburg basin, Colorado was down one for 51. In the Powder River basin, Wyoming was down one for 48. Utah was flat on 28.
In the Bakken tight-oil play, North Dakota was up five for 179, while Montana was down two for 18.
In the Marcellus, Pennsylvania was up four for 71 and West Virginia was flat on 27.
Ohio and the Utica shale were down two on 28.
California was flat on 31.
Alaska was flat on 11.
*Luke Johnson
