Steel Markets
North American Rig Counts Continue to Sag
Written by Brett Linton
April 19, 2015
According to Baker Hughes data from April 17th, 2015, the U.S rig count for the week was 954 rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas. The last time the active U.S. count was this low was back on July 31, 2009 at 948 rigs.
This week’s total rig count is down 34 rigs when compared to last week, with oil rigs down 26 to 734 rigs, gas rigs down 8 to 217 rigs, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 3 rigs. Compared to this time last year, the 954 count is down 877 rigs, with oil rigs down by 776, gas rigs down by 99, and miscellaneous rigs down by 2.
The decline in the drilling of new gas and oil wells is having a direct impact on the amount of line pipe, storage tanks, and OCTG that is being used by the energy sector. A good portion of these products come from hot rolled coil or plate substrate, and are reasons for both the short lead times on hot rolled and plate at North American steel producers and the falling steel prices we have seen going back to mid-2014.
The situation in Canada is worse than the U.S. with total rigs down nearly 60 percent compared to one year ago, The Canadian rig count decreased by 19 to 80 rigs this past week, with oil rigs unchanged at 20 rigs and gas rigs down 19 to 60 rigs. Compared to last year the 80 count is a decrease of 119 rigs, with oil rigs down by 65 and gas rigs down by 54. International rigs decreased by 24 to 1,251 rigs for the month of March, a decrease of 94 rigs from the same month one year ago. For a history of both the US and Canadian rig count click here.
About the Rotary Rig Count
A rotary rig is one that rotates the drill pipe from the surface to either drill a new well or sidetracking an existing one. They are drilled to explore for, develop and produce oil or natural gas. The Baker Hughes Rotary Rig count includes only those rigs that are significant consumers of oilfield services and supplies.
The Baker Hughes North American Rotary Rig Count is a weekly census of the number of drilling rigs actively exploring for or developing oil or natural gas in the United States and Canada. Rigs considered active must be on location and drilling. They are considered active from the time they break ground until the time they reach their target depth.
The Baker Hughes International Rotary Rig Count is a monthly census of active drilling rigs exploring for or developing oil or natural gas outside of the United States and Canada. International rigs considered active must be drilling at least 15 days during the month. The Baker Hughes International Rotary Rig Count does not include rigs drilling in Russia or onshore China.
Brett Linton
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