22 August 2018, Sweetcrude, Vienna — Saudi Arabia led the other member-nations of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, in terms of number of oil rigs operating in the country.
Statistics obtained by SweetcrudeReports from OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report, MOMR, for August showed that the OPEC power house had 148 rigs operating in its oil fields in July, followed by Venezuela with 70.
Among other OPEC members, Iran boasted of 61; Iraq, 59; United Arab Emirates, 55; Kuwait, 50; Algeria, 45; and Nigeria, 35.
Qatar had nine oil rigs operating in its oil fields during the month under review, Ecuador had eight, Libya, 5; Angola and Gabon, 4 each; and Equatorial Guinea, 2.
The OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report showed that Nigeria’s oil rigs rose from 32 in June to 35 in July.
Before the gain, Nigeria’s oil rigs had remained static at 32 since the first quarter of the year.
In 2015, the country had recorded 30 oil rig counts. Then in 2016, it decreased to 25, and later 28 in early 2017.
It again dropped to 27 in the third quarter 2017, and then rose to 28 at the fourth quarter of that year from which it had remained static at 32 till the July figure.