While the national rig count slipped by 2 in the past week to reach a total of 404, the count in Oklahoma increased by one to reach a total of 57 working oil and gas rigs, according to the latest data from Baker Hughes Company of Houston, Texas.
The national count shows 318 working oil rigs and 85 drilling for gas. The number of oil rigs stayed the same in the past week while there was an increase of two working gas rigs.
But the drop in the past week totaled 481 oil and gas rigs from a count of 885 a year ago. In the past year, the nation has dropped 341 oil rigs and 137 gas rigs.
Canada added one rig in the past week to reach 44.
Several area states with oil and gas activity saw increases in the past week. Colorado was up one to reach 16. Kansas added one to hit three working rigs. Louisiana’s count grew by 7 to hit 47. New Mexico stayed at 18. North Dakota’s count dropped by one to reach 23. The count in Texas dropped by 8 to reach 173.
The two Woodford oil plays in Oklahoma remained at 3 compared to the 12 working rigs a year ago. The Granite Wash stayed at 4. The Mississippian Lime count dropped by two working rigs to reach 3. A year ago, the Mississippian had 22. The Eagle Ford in south Texas reached 31, a decline of two.
The Permian Basin, the nation’s most active oil and gas play in West Texas added three to reach 137, still considerably below the 233 rigs one year ago.