Barnett Shale

Barnett rig county up one 26, U.S. rigs down

Active rigs in the Barnett Shale inched up this week to 26, just one more than the 11-year low seen the previous week, according to RigData. Wise County continued to be the busiest in the North Texas field, with six rigs working, followed by Denton and Tarrant counties with four each.

Nationally, the rig count was down four to 1,754, according to Baker Hughes. The number of rigs seeking crude oil rose by 10 to 1,381, while rigs seeking natural gas fell by 13 to 366. Seven were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, there were 1,945 active rigs.
-- Jim Fuquay

Barnett rig count up third straight week, to 40

Active drilling rigs in the Barnett Shale rose by three to 40, the third straight week of gain and a rebound from the 30 rigs that were running the week of Dec. 28, the lowest for the field in years. It's the busiest for the field since the week of Nov. 9, when there were also 40 active rigs, according to RigData. As has been the case for the past two years, activity was concentrated in Wise and Montague counties, which had 18 rigs seeking the oil and natural gas liquids found in that part of the Barnett. Tarrant, Denton and Jack counties each had four rigs.

-- Jim Fuquay 

Barnett rig count up three to 36 on Wise County drilling

Wise County's 10 active rigs pushed the Barnett Shale rig count to 36, up three from a week ago, according to RigData. Well over half the North Texas field's rigs are in the wet and "oily" portion of the field's northwest reaches, including Wise, Montague with six and Jack with five. Palo Pinto County, which doesn't often enter the picture, had a new vertical well by G&F Oil Inc., which also has a rig in Jack County. Johnson County had three active rigs, up from the one or two the former hotspot has been running in the past year. Devon Energy as usual is the busiest operator, with nine rigs, followed by EOG Resources with four and EnerVest Operating with three each

Nationally, rigs actively looking for oil and natural gas was down a dozen to 1,749. Houston-based Baker Hughes said iFriday. There were 1,316 rigs were exploring for oil and 429 for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 2,008 active U.S. rigs.

-- Jim Fuquay

Barnett rig count partly rebounds to 35, up 5

The number of active rigs in the Barnett Shale rose by five this week, to 35, apparently a rebound from last week's total that was probably depressed the Christmas holiday as well as the ice and snow that blew in last week. That week the rig count had fallen eight, to 30, according to RigData. Still, not counting last week the Barnett rig count is at its lowest  in years.

Nationally, the rig count inched down by one to 1,762, led by oil rigs dropping by nine to 1,318, their lowest in nine months, said BakerHughes. Gas rigs were up eight to 439, but remain at less than a third their peak level in 2008. While oil rigs have fallen seven straight weeks, U.S. oil production rose to its highest since March 1993.

-- Jim Fuquay

Barnett rig count down 8 to 30

Active drilling rigs in the Barnett Shale took an unusually large drop this week, down eight to 30, as icy weather could have delayed activity in the field, most of which received snow Christmas Day. Half the area's rigs were in Montague and Wise counties, where operators migrated months ago in search of oil and liquids-rich gas. Devon Energy was running seven rigs in four counties, while EOG Resources had five, all in Montague and Cooke counties, according to RigData. Montague was busiest with eight rigs, followed by Wise with seven, and Parker and Tarrant with three each.

Nationally, the rig count dropped 11 to 1,763. Rigs seeking crude oil were down 13, to 1,327, and rigs seeking natural gas were up two, to 431. Five were miscellaneous. 

-- Jim Fuquay

U.S. rig count down, Barnett up

Active rigs in the Barnett Shale rose by two to 39 in the past week, as Tarrant County showed growth to tie Wise County as the most active, with eight rigs. They are followed by Jack with seven and Parker and Denton with four each.

Nationally, natural gas rigs dipped this week after two consecutive weeks of higher activity but still finished up for the month for the first time in more than a year, Baker Hughes reported. Drilling rigs seeking gas were down four from last week to 424, while rigs seeking crude oil were down two to 1,386. The total U.S. land rig count was 1,811, down six.

— Jim Fuquay