Take your pick. This week’s rig count reported by Enverus Rig Analytics shows the nation’s rig count dropped by 12 in the past week to 386. Baker Hughes says the opposite…that numbers increased by two to 348 rigs.
The Austin, Texas company said the count is down 3% in the past month and down 54% from one year ago. The company reported a decline of seven rigs to 166 in the Permian Basin while the Anadarko Basin increased by five to 21. The Williston Basin picked up two to reach 13 while the Appalachia fell four to 36.
Despite this week’s drilling lull, the US rig count has risen every month during Q4, with December averaging 402 rigs, November averaging 387 and October averaging 326. An average of 280 rigs ran in Q2. Despite the quarterly recovery, this is the lowest Q4 activity level for the US in Enverus’ dataset dating back to 2014.
Enverus numbers differ than the rig numbers revealed by Baker Hughes which reported an increase of 8 to 346 last week while Enverus showed a decline of five to 401.
Baker Hughes, in a pre-Christmas report issued on Wednesday showed just the opposite from Enverus, with an increase of two rigs to 348 nationally. The number of oil rigs grew by one to 246 while the number of gas rigs increased two to 83.
Still, the US count is down 457 from the 805 rigs reported a year ago and the loss includes 413 oil rigs and 42 gas rigs.
Oklahoma’s count increased by two to reach 16 while the number of rigs in Texas grew by one to 159. Colorado’s number dropped one to six.
The Red Top Rig Report published by the Independent Oil and Gas Service in Wichita, Kansas reported the Kansas rig count fell by two to 17.
Louisiana added three rigs to reach 43 while New Mexico’s count fell one to 65. North Dakota was unchanged at 11 rigs. Ohio’s count stayed at 5 and the number of rigs in Pennsylvania was unchanged at 19. West Virginia’s count fell one to 8.
Baker Hughes reported the Woodfords in Oklahoma remain void of any rig activity while the Granite Wash count stayed at one rig. The Mississippian has no reported rig activity.
The D-J Basin count dropped by one to five rigs in Colorado. The Eagle Ford of South Texas was unchanged at 26 while the Haynesville added three to reach 43.
The Marcellus count slipped by one to 26. The Permian Basin numbers fell by one to 173. The count in the Utica play was unchanged at ix and the numbers in the Williston stayed at 11 rigs.