Permian Basin sheds 20 rigs this week

The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the Permian Basin decreased 20 this week to 548, according the weekly rotary rig count released Friday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

District 8, which includes Midland County, had 316 rigs, down 19.

Texas' rig count was down 24 this week for a statewide total of 872. In other major Texas basins, there were 204 rigs in the Eagle Ford, down two; 57 in the Granite Wash, down six; 43 in the Haynesville, up three; and 23 in the Barnett, down one.

At this time last year, there were 477 rigs in the Permian Basin and 848 in Texas.

The U.S. shed 27 this week for a nationwide total of 1,893. There were 1,546 oil rigs, down 29; 346 natural gas rigs, up two; and one rig listed as miscellaneous, unchanged.

By trajectory, there were 330 vertical drilling rigs, down 24; 1,367 horizontal drilling rigs, down one; and 196 directional drilling rigs, down two.

The U.S. had 1,782 rigs a year ago this week.

The top five basins by rig count this week were the Permian; the Eagle Ford; the Williston with 188, down one; the Marcellus with 83, up one; and the Mississippian with 74, unchanged.

The top five states by rig count were Texas; Oklahoma with 211, unchanged; North Dakota with 179, up one; Louisiana with 113, down one; and New Mexico with 101, up one.

In the U.S., there were 1,820 rigs on land, down 28; 13 in inland waters, down one; and 60 offshore, up two. There were 58 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, up two.

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Permian Basin sheds 20 rigs this week