The U.S. natural gas rig count rose by one unit to 98 for the week ending Friday (Aug. 16), according to updated data from Enverus and Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).
The active gas rig count represented a decline of 19 units versus the year-earlier count of 117. The combined domestic rig count, which included a drop of two oil rigs and one miscellaneous unit, finished lower by two units at 586 from a week earlier, according to the latest numbers.
Land drilling accounted for that total two-rig decline as units in the Gulf of Mexico were unchanged on the week. Two directional rigs exited during the week to drop the segment count to 48, the data show. Horizontal rigs were unchanged at 521.
Meanwhile, the Canadian rig count at 217 was flat on the week, and up by 28 from a year earlier. The country shed three gas rigs week/week to 66. That was offset by a four-rig gain in oil-directed drilling and one miscellaneous unit exiting the patch.
Among Lower 48 plays, the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas shed two rigs, while the Permian Basin, Utica Shale and Cana Woodford lost one unit each. Meanwhile, the Mississippian Lime added two rigs and Ardmore Woodford added one unit.
By state, Texas saw three rigs exit its oil and gas patch, leaving 273 rigs overall. This figure was also down by 39 from a year earlier. Ohio shed one rig to finish at nine. Alone on the positive side of the ledger, Oklahoma saw two rigs enter for the period, leaving it with 37 rigs overall, versus 39 a year ago.
