The latest oil and gas drilling rig counts show an increase nationally but a decline in Oklahoma.
The Baker Hughes Co. of Houston reported the national count grew by 5 in the past week to reach 995. The count included 4 more oil rigs to reach 804 and the addition of one gas drilling rig to hit 190. In the past year, the drilling rig count grew by 186 from 809.
Oklahoma’s county dropped by 4 to reach 120 in the past week. Texas added 7 rigs to reach 499. Colorado’s count grew by 2 to hit 31 while Louisiana remained steady at 57 and New Mexico stayed at 88. North Dakota’s count remained at 53 while the count in Kansas was steady at 41, according to the Red Top Rig Report from the Independent Gas Service of Wichita.
Of the oil plays, the Permian Basin in West Texas and East New Mexico added 7 rigs to hit 444. The Mississippian in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas dropped by one to 3.
The Granite Wash in northwest Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle lost one rig to hit 13. The Eagle Ford in South Texas added one to attain 72 working rigs. The DJ-Niobrara in Colorado grew by one to hit 24. The Woodfords in Oklahoma remained at 8 working rigs.