Baker Hughes announces April 2006 rig counts
  by: OilOnline
  Friday, May 05, 2006

Baker Hughes Incorporated announced that the international rig count for April 2006 was 912, up 14 from the 898 counted in March 2006, and up 14 from the 898 counted in April 2005. The international offshore rig count for April 2006 was 269, down five from the 274 counted in March 2006 and up three from the 266 counted in April 2005.

(A) Excluding Iran and Sudan, the international rig count for April 2006 was 912, up 14 from the 898 counted in March 2006, and up 72 from the 840 counted in April 2005. The international offshore rig count for April 2006 was 269, down 5 from the 274 counted in March 2006 and up 12 from the 257 counted in April 2005.

The US rig count for April 2006 was 1,597 up 46 from the 1,551 counted in March 2006 and up 263 from the 1,334 counted in April 2005. The Canadian rig count for April 2006 was 198, down 422 from the 620 counted in March 2006 and up 16 from the 182 counted in April 2005.

The worldwide rig count for April 2006 was 2,707, down 362 from the 3,069 counted in March 2006 and up 293 from the 2,414 counted in April 2005. (A) Excluding Iran and Sudan, the worldwide rig count for April 2006 was 2,707 down 362 from the 3,069 counted in March 2006 and up 351 from the 2,356 counted in April 2005.

The Baker Hughes Rotary Rig Counts are counts of the number of drilling rigs actively exploring for or developing oil or natural gas in the United States, Canada and international markets. Baker Hughes has issued the rotary rig counts as a service to the petroleum industry since 1944, when Hughes Tool Company began weekly counts of US and Canadian drilling activity. Hughes initiated the monthly international rig count in 1975. In 1987, Baker Oil Tools began its monthly workover rig count.