Rig Locator, which provides detailed information on drilling and service rigs in Canada, reported that 625 rigs were working across the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin the week of February 24, out of a total possible 810, resulting in 77% of the fleet being active.
Activity levels stood at 76% the previous week and at 78% two weeks prior.
Active rigs on the Rig Locator website are defined as rigs that are drilling, rigging up or moving.
This data differs from the rig counts tracked by the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, which bases its utilization rates on whether rigs are drilling, which it defines as spud to rig release, or down.
British Columbia’s activity rate was at 91% the same week (72 active rigs, with only seven rigs down). The rate stood at 89% last week.
In Alberta, 438 rigs were working over the same period for an activity rate of 77%. The previous week, 437 rigs were active for a 76% activity rate.
In Saskatchewan, 104 rigs were working (74% active), up from 100 active rigs the week before. There were 11 rigs working in Manitoba this week (61% active), down from 14 active rigs last week (70% active).
Canadian Natural Resources Limited is the most active operator this week with 33 rigs at work.
Second-place finisher Husky Energy Inc. has 30 active rigs, followed by Progress Energy Canada Ltd. (27 active rigs),Crescent Point Energy Corp. (24) and Cenovus Energy Inc.(18).
Apache Canada Ltd. and Tourmaline Oil Corp. each have five rigs drilling exploratory hole this week, the most of any producer.
