NOV RIG CENSUS
“Drilling contractors have indicated that more
rigs could be active if they were able to staff
them adequately, further highlighting the
challenge of crew availability and retention.”
removed per the census rules. While still
less than the number of reactivations in
2019, it is a sharp increase compared with
the number of rigs added to the fleet in
2020 and 2021. More reactivations would
likely have occurred had it not been for
inflation and supply constraints on things
like frac sand and crews. Four offshore
rigs were added to the US fleet: One drill-
ship, one jackup and two semisubmers-
ibles entered the US GOM. This number
is likely to increase further this year after
the census period as the drillship market
in the US GOM is basically sold out and
will soon see the first eighth-generation
unit. US rig attrition
A total of 61 rigs were removed from the
available fleet in the 2022 census, partly
offset by the addition of 38 rigs that were
either newbuilds, reactivated or moved
into the region. Therefore, the total fleet
size was reduced by 23 rigs. This is a much
smaller number than what was seen in
the previous census, when 276 rigs were
removed. It is also well below the average
fleet reduction of 210 rigs per year seen
over the past five years, mainly due to
large reductions in 2018 and 2021. Of the
61 rigs removed, 30 were scrapped, includ-
ing 25 land rigs and five old jackups from
the ’70s and ’80s, and 31 were removed per
census rules.
US drilling activity
There were 893 active rigs in the US
in the census period – 851 land and 42
offshore. This reflects an increase of 40%
compared with 2021 but is still 61% fewer
than the 2,269 active rigs in 2014 before the
start of the global downturn. Overall, land
saw 55% utilization while offshore had 43%
utilization. Not surprisingly, the Permian led with
370 active rigs, representing 56% utiliza-
tion for the region’s fleet. The Permian
fleet decreased from 759 to 656 available
rigs, likely due to stacked rigs now hitting
their third year not working compared
with high-spec rigs quickly returning to
work. Although having a smaller fleet
of 114 rigs, the ArkLaTex region saw the
highest utilization rate of 75%.
5000 Canadian fleet and activity
The Canadian rig fleet decreased by
approximately 12% to 358, a new historical
low. The offshore fleet remained at seven
rigs: three platforms, three semisubmers-
ibles and one drill barge. Although one
drillship left the region, it was offset by
the entrance of a semisubmersible. As for
the land rig fleet, six were added, while 54
were removed according to census rules,
netting 351 available land rigs.
Fleet utilization hit 51%, the highest
since 2006, although the available fleet
now is less than half the size of what it
was in 2006. Still, 51% is a healthy uti-
lization rate as the census period often
coincides with the spring breakup. The
number of active rigs increased for the
second consecutive year, reaching 184 in
2022. This is up from 140 active rigs in
2021 and far more than the 2020 low of 29.
Drilling contractors have indicated that
US Available Rigs and Utilization Rates
US Available and Active Rigs
6000 This year, land rigs capable of drilling
20,000 ft or more (839 rigs) led with 61%
utilization. Rigs rated between 16,000 and
19,999 ft (312 rigs) increased to 184 active,
or 59% utilization. Rigs with drilling depth
capacities between 6,000 and 9,999 ft saw
52% utilization. It should be noted that
there are only 135 rigs in this segment.
Offshore, jackup utilization increased
from 33% in 2021 to 46%, with six rigs active
out of 13 total. Semisubmersibles had no
active rigs last year but had two active
rigs this year, representing 67% utilization.
Finally, drillships are nearly tapped out
with 95% utilization of the 20 available rigs.
6000 Available rigs
Active rigs
100% 90%
5000 4000
4000 3000
3000 80%
70% 54%
2000 1000
0 1640
893 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2022
60% 50%
40% 2000
30% 1640
20% 1000
Available rigs
Utilization
rate 0
1955 1958
1961 1964
1967 1970
1973 1976
10% 0
1979 1982
1985 1988
1991 1994
1997 2000
2004 2007
2010 2013
2016 2019
2022 Figure 1: The US available fleet, land and offshore, had a net decrease of 23 rigs for a total 1,640 available rigs. Of that total, 893
rigs worked during this year’s census period. Figure 2: Utilization in the US continued its positive developments from last year,
going from 38% in 2021 to 54% in 2022.
32 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 • DRILLING CONTRACTOR