The U.S. rig count fell by five in the last week to 559 as of July 28, according to Enverus Rig Analytics. The number of active rigs is up 3% on the month and up 94% YOY. The last week did not see particularly notable changes in major plays.
The company’s weekly report also showed a slight drop in the number of active rigs in the Anadarko Basin, much of which is in Oklahoma.
Enverus also indicated Oklahoma’s Continental Resources started its first drilling exploration a few months ago in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, after the company closed on its acquisition of Samson Resources II on March 4.
As of Wednesday, the Basin had 10 rigs in operation by seven operators. The most active drillers are Anschutz Exploration, Continental Resources and EOG Resources at two rigs each.
Major plays’ rig counts are up 50-250% YOY, with the DJ Basin and Gulf Coast Basin up the most. Up 250% YOY, there are 14 rigs running in the DJ. It’s a story of single-rig operators and there are just more of them now at 14 compared to four on July 28, 2020.
On the Gulf Coast, the play has gone from 17 active operators a year ago to 45 currently. EOG has added the most rigs YOY at three, with a total of four running. With no rigs running last July 28, BP, Dunn Exploration, Penn Virginia and Venture Oil & Gas have added two rigs YOY. Tied with EOG as the most active operator in the play, ConocoPhillips is running four rigs as it was a year ago.