After a pause in activity that added only 1 rig in the last 4 weeks, Permian Basin added 8 rigs last week for a new total of 343 active oil and gas drilling rigs as of May 20, according to Baker Hughes. Also there were 357 rigs in Texas (up 12 in past week, up 143 in past year), 98 in New Mexico (unchanged in past week, up 26 in past year) and 728 in U.S. (up 14 in past week, up 273 in past year).
Eddy County, N.M., is the new Permian leader with 48 rigs followed by Lea, N.M., with 45, Midland with 41, and Martin and Reeves each with 33.
Enverus said May 19 the most active operators in U.S. are Pioneer Natural Resources with 26, EOG Resources with 25, ConocoPhillips with 22, Mewbourne Oil with 20 and Occidental Petroleum with 19. Seventy-nine percent of wells operated by these top 5 drillers are in Permian Basin, and these companies are operating 24 percent more rigs than a year ago. There are 328 companies running at least 1 rig in U.S. compared to 227 a year ago and 123 companies running at least 2 rigs compared to 70 a year ago.
No major producing state reported a decline in rig count last week. Louisiana remains No. 3 with 64 rigs followed by Oklahoma with 58 and North Dakota with 36. Haynesville remains No. 2 among regions with 70 rigs followed by Eagle Ford with 65, Marcellus with 39 and Williston with 38.