Oil and natural gas drilling in the United States has returned to pre-recession levels, and the drilling rig count is nearing a twenty-year high according to new graphical analysis by Headwaters Economics.
Market prices and advancements in drilling technology account for most of the increases in drilling activity. The rig data is provided by Baker Hughes.
This fact sheet shows several key indicators: trends in rig counts by energy type compared to market prices; rig activity by technology; and activity trends by state, with an emphasis on the energy-producing Rocky Mountain States (CO, MT, NM, UT, and WY) along with North Dakota.