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    November 6, 2026

    Drilling activity ticks up in the US, eases in Canada

    Written by David Schollaert

    The latest tally of active drilling rigs moved marginally higher in the US, up for the first time in five weeks. Activity eased in Canada this week, according to oil and gas rig count data published by Baker Hughes.

    The US rig count increased to 604 rigs this week, setting an 18-month high. Compared with this time last year, 56 more rigs are in operation today.

    David Schollaert

    David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

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