Counts from Baker Hughes of active oil and gas drilling rigs declined for the sixth straight week in Permian Basin and seventh straight week in Texas as of Sept. 20. There are 417 rigs in Permian (419 previous week, 488 previous year) and 423 rigs in Texas (430 previous week, 531 previous year). The U.S. count declined 18 in the past week to 868 (1,053 previous year). New Mexico was the only top 10 producing state to add at least one rig last week (up 1 to 109, a year ago 99).
Rig counts in other top states as of Sept. 20, according to Baker Hughes, include 66 in Oklahoma (76 previous week, 136 previous year), 57 in Louisiana (58 previous week, 61 previous year) and 53 in North Dakota (55 previous week, 53 previous year). Rig counts in other top regions include 63 in Eagle Ford (66 previous week, 79 previous year), 53 in Williston (55 previous week, 53 previous year) and 50 each in Haynesville and Marcellus.
Reeves County lost 2 rigs for a new total of 57 to lead Permian followed by 56 in Lea County, N.M. (up 1 in past week), 48 in Midland County (up 5 in past week), also 48 in Eddy, N.M., (unchanged in past week), 33 in Loving (down 2), also 33 in Martin (down 4) and 24 in Howard (down 1).
Enverus Drillinginfo said Sept. 19 the 10 top producing counties in the U.S. added a total of 14 rigs (4 percent) in past 90 days while the rest of the U.S. combined for a decline of 104 rigs. Drillinginfo said Eddy and Lea in New Mexico, Howard, Loving, Martin, Midland, Reeves and Ward in Texas, Converse in Wyoming, and McKenzie in North Dakota account for 37 percent of all rigs in U.S.