The US drilling rig count climbed for the fifth straight week with a 2-unit gain to 931 rigs working during the week ended Dec. 8, data from Baker Hughes indicate.
The pair of rigs are both oil-targeted, bringing the total to 751 from a week ago. Gas-directed rigs remain unchanged from a week ago at 180.
One rig was added onshore, bringing the total to 909 from a week ago. The other unit was added to US inland waters, bringing the count to 2 units. Rigs drilling offshore remain unchanged at 20 units.
Texas led in gains among leading oil and gas producing states. The addition of 5 units in Texas brings the total to 459. New Mexico gained 3 units to 73. Pennsylvania gained 2 units to 33. Louisiana and West Virginia gained 1 rig each, bringing their respective counts to 63 and 13.
Ohio was down 4 rigs to 26, while Colorado saw a 3-rig drop to 33. Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Kansas were down 1 rig each to respective counts of 121, 46, and 0.
Five states were unchanged during the week: Wyoming, 25; California, 14; Utah, 12; Alaska, 5; and Arkansas, 0.
Canada lost 3 units to 219 from a week ago. Oil-directed rigs increased 1 unit to 112. Those rigs drilling for gas decreased 4 units to 107.
