14 January 2013 – The number of rigs drilling for oil and gas in the US fell by one this week for a total of 1761, according to data from Houston-based services giant Baker Hughes.
Rigs drilling for oil were up five on 1323 while those drilling for gas were down five on 434.
The Marcellus gas play in Pennsylvania saw this biggest drop this week, losing six rigs for a total of 67.
West Virginia, another Marcellus state, gained one for a total of 27.
In Ohio, where the hottest Utica shale prospects lie, the rig count stayed flat from a week earlier on 30.
Louisiana, home of sections of the Haynesville shale and the Tuscaloosa Marine shale, tallied 107 rigs this week, a gain of five and the largest increase of any state. Mississippi, which also hosts the Tuscaloosa Marine, was flat on 11.
The Texas side of the Haynesville gained one rig for 32.
Texas’ Barnett shale-gas play in the Fort Worth basin lost 1 rig for a weekly tally of 63.
The Eagle Ford in South Texas gained three rigs for 83.
The Texas Permian was down by three rigs for a total of 341.
Overall, Texas lost two rigs for a total of 824.
The New Mexico Permian was flat on 81.
In Oklahoma, the rig count jumped by four for a total of 185. Kansas lost one for 30.
The Powder River basin of Wyoming saw its rig count rise by one for a total of 49.
The Denver-Julesburg of Colorado was down by three for 52.
Utah lost one for 28.
North Dakota, home of the giant Bakken tight-oil play, gained one rig for 174. Montana lost two for 20.
California and the Monterrey shale were up one rig for 31.
Alaska gained two rigs for 11 total.
Arkansas was flat on 15.
*Luke Johnson for Upstream.