US oil rig count hits highest level in 23 years

摘要

Houston-The number of US rigs drilling for oil is at its highest level in 23 years, and ana- lysts said December 29 they expect it to con- tinue on an upward march--by as much as 20% next year. Thanks to an E&P company scramble to find oil and liquids in mature fields or those previously thought to contain only natural gas, a total 771 rigs are directed toward oil drilling, which is 45% of the total US rig count of 1,714, according to the latest Baker Hughes weekly rig count that came out December 23.