The active drilling rig count is down in mid-September, with 41 rigs working in Saskatchewan on Sept 17, as reported by sister publication Rig Locator (riglocator.ca).
That seems to be around the level consistent for mid-September over the last two years. On Sept. 13, 2017, there were 38 rigs at work. On Sept. 13, 2016, there were 42.
The 41 is a noticeable drop from the low 50s that the count hovered around since Canada Day. While it is now roughly on par with the last two years, the summer of 2018 was a slight improvement, generally by 10 rigs, than the summer of 2017. It was much better than the summer of 2016, when at times the rig count dropped to 15 and 19 in July of that year.
Recent wet conditions on the western side of the province may have had an impact, with the rig activity down in that area.
Despite its announcement it was laying off 17 per cent of its workforce and selling off up to 50,000 barrels per day of production to pay off $1 billion in debt, Crescent Point Energy is still the top driller in the country with 14 rigs at work in Canada. One of those was in the Swan Hills, Alta., area, and the remaining 13 were in Saskatchewan. Two rigs were working close to each other at Dodsland. Another was just southwest of Shaunavon. Three were in the Stoughton area – one north and two southwest of the community. The Flat Lake area had one at Bromhead, another at Oungre, and five continuing the infill process within sight of the US border, southwest of Torquay.
Twelve drilling contractors were working for 20 different oil companies on Sept. 17. ÌýThose drilling companies, and the number of rigs working, included Akita Drilling (1), Alliance Drilling and Oilfield Service (3), Betts Drilling (2), CWC Ironhand Drilling (1), Ensign Drilling Inc. (6), Horizon Drilling (3), Lasso Drilling Corporation (2), Panther Drilling (2) Precision Drilling (9), Savanna Drilling (5), Stampede Drilling (3) and Trinidad Drilling (4).
Aldon Oils Ltd. was working with one rig at Manor. Astra Oil Corp. had one rig at Minard. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. had one rig at Alameda.
Silver Bay Resources Ltd. had one rig at Edenvale, south of Redvers.
Spectrum Resource Group Ltd. had one rig at Viewfield.
Torc Oil & Gas Ltd. had two rigs at Steelman.
Triland Energy Inc. had one rig at Willmar. Vermillion Energy Inc. had individual rigs at Carnduff, Elmore and Oungre. Another rig shows up under Vermillion Resources Ltd. at Antler.
Whitecap Resources had rigs at Weyburn and Cantuar, in the southwest corner.
Over on the western side of the province, Teine Energy had for rigs going, with two at Plato, one at Dodsland and another at Eureka.
Cona Resources Ltd. had one rig at Winter.
Baytex Energy still only registers as one rig, at Soda Lake. The Raging River Exploration Inc. acquisition apparently hasn’t registered yet in these reports, as Raging River is showing one rig at Dodsland. ÌýÌý
Husky Energy had two rigs working in northwest Saskatchewan, at Dee Valley and Brightsand Lake.
Mosaic Potash, another old name not reflecting a merger, shows up with one rig at Esterhazy, although we’ve been told in the past there are often more rigs working there that don’t show up in the reports.
Saturn Oil & Gas fired up its fall drilling program at Hoosier with one rig. Sarafina Energy Ltd. had two rigs working at Jackfish Lake and Meota.
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