Active rig counts dip in US and in Canada

US rigs

Through Sept. 20, there were 588 drilling rigs operating in the US, two less than the week before. Oil rigs were stable at 488, gas rigs fell by one to 96, and miscellaneous declined by one to four. There were 42 fewer active US rigs last week compared to last year, with 19 fewer oil rigs, 22 fewer gas rigs, and one fewer miscellaneous rigs.

Canada rigs

There were 211 active Canadian drilling rigs operating as of last week, seven less than in the prior week. Oil rigs fell by six to 144, gas rigs eased by one to 66, and miscellaneous rigs were unchanged at one. There are currently 21 more Canadian rigs in operation than levels one year ago, with 29 more oil rigs, nine fewer gas rigs, and one more miscellaneous rig.

International rig count

The international rig count is a monthly figure updated at the beginning of each month. The total number of active rigs for the month of August fell to 931, two less than the July count and down by 21 from levels a year ago.

The Baker Hughes rig count is important to the steel industry because it is a leading indicator of demand for oil country tubular goods (OCTG), a key end market for steel sheet. A rotary rig rotates the drill pipe from the surface to either drill a new well or sidetrack an existing one. For a history of the US and Canadian rig counts, visit the rig count page on our website.