U.S. Rig Count Holds Steady as Texas Adds Activity

MIDLAND, TX - Drilling activity in the U.S. remained steady for the second consecutive week as the holiday season nears, with Texas adding one rig to its total, according to Baker Hughes.

The national rig count stayed at 589 as of Dec. 13, unchanged from the previous week but down 31 rigs or 5% from 620 at the same time last year. Of those, 483 rigs were seeking crude oil—up one from the previous week—while rigs drilling for natural gas decreased by one to 102.

Texas added one rig, bringing the state’s total to 285, a decline of 21 from the same period last year. New Mexico’s rig count fell by one to 103, and other producing states reported no changes.

The Permian Basin mirrored the national trend, maintaining 304 rigs for the second week in a row but down three rigs compared to the same time last year. Eddy County, New Mexico, remained the most active county in the Permian with 54 rigs, followed by Lea County with 46 rigs. Midland County in Texas gained a rig, bringing its total to 30.

Tom Green County in Texas saw renewed activity with one rig at work for the week.

Energy analytics firm Enverus reported a slight dip in its U.S. rig count, which fell by two to 578 for the same period. The firm noted a sharp year-over-year decline of 55 rigs or 9%. The number of rigs drilling for natural gas dropped by four to 90, a decrease from 143 rigs a year ago.

Enverus also highlighted a decrease in drilling permits within the Permian Basin, with 691 permits filed as of late November, down from 818 the previous week but higher than the 538 filed a year earlier. Frac crews in the Permian totaled 106, up from 93 the prior week.

ExxonMobil topped the list of active drillers with 36 rigs, followed by ConocoPhillips at 34 and Occidental at 30.