The US oil rig count slipped another eight rigs this week to 392, Baker Hughes said Friday, amid a rally in crude not seen since the first few days of January. Oil rigs are down 57% from 922 during the same week in 2015, Baker Hughes said in its weekly rig count, to a level not seen since the last downturn in 2009. In addition, the horizontal rig count — an indicator of shale drilling–weighed in at 389, also down 57% from 895 during the same week a year ago. Crude oil, which has hovered around the $30/b mark most of this year with forays below that price, climbed into the mid-$30s this week as analysts continued to watch the rig count as an indicator of potential falling production this year. “Our revised rig count forecast reflects the incremental weakness and model another 15 land rigs falling per week […]

Posted in: USA