The number of working oil and gas rigs in the U.S. in March fell by 54 and amounted to 478, which is an historic low since 1975. This is according to the American oil services company Baker Hughes.
In Canada, the figure fell to 88, a decrease of 123 installation. Thus, the share of North America in March accounted for 36.5% of all drilling rigs operating, compared with 42.2% in the previous month and a 51.1 per cent a year earlier.
Around the world last month worked 1551 installation, which is the lowest rate since September 1999. Then their number was 1528. The index in March at 210 and below the January 1006 is smaller than in March last year.
The reduction in the number of rigs recorded in Europe, the middle East, Latin America and Africa. And only in the Asia-Pacific region increased by one installation — up to 183 drilling.
The monthly average number of operating oil and gas installations by the end of 2015 amounted to 2337 — the lowest level since 2009. In 2014 the world worked the highest since 1985, the number of drill — 3578. Thus, last year the index fell by more than a third.
Publication of data on the reduction in the number of drilling has not yet caused price increases. On the London exchange ICE the June contract on oil Brent on Thursday, April 7, traded at 38,92 USD per barrel, which is below the level of the previous trading day up 2.3 percent. May futures for WTI mark traded 2.3 percent cheaper than the day before, — 36,88 USD per barrel.
Baker Hughes is the third largest oil and gas service company in the world after Schlumberger and Halliburton. It is engaged in the drilling, evaluation of reserves, field infrastructure development and other services in this area. The company operates in more than 90 countries around the world. In 1944 she began to publish data on active drilling rigs in the US, and since 1975 — the world in General.
