The US drilling rig count fell 34 units—all on land—to 954 rigs working during the week ended Apr. 17, according to data from Baker Hughes Inc. The slide has now lasted 19 consecutive weeks, during which time the count has plunged 966 units ( OGJ Online, Dec. 5, 2014 ). The total of 954 is the lowest since the week ended July 31, 2009, and 877 fewer units compared with this week a year ago. The impact of more and more rigs going offline on US oil production is showing, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s monthly Drilling Productivity Report (DPR), which expects overall output from US shale plays to decline 57,000 b/d in May compared with April to 5.56 million b/d ( OGJ Online, Mar. 10, 2015 ). The first declines in major US shale plays were projected by EIA to […]