Baker Hughes Announces December 2009 Rig Counts

HOUSTON, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE: BHI) announced today that the international rig count for December 2009 was 1,024, down 1 from the 1,025 counted in November 2009, and down 54 from the 1,078 counted in December 2008. The international offshore rig count for December 2009 was 281, down 3 from the 284 counted in November 2009 and down 10 from the 291 counted in December 2008.

The US rig count for December 2009 was 1,172, up 65 from the 1,107 counted in November 2009 and down 610 from the 1,782 counted in December 2008. The Canadian rig count for December 2009 was 313, up 36 from the 277 counted in November 2009 and down 48 from the 361 counted in December 2008.

The worldwide rig count for December 2009 was 2,509, up 100 from the 2,409 counted in November 2009 and down 712 from the 3,221 counted in December 2008.

    December 2009 Rotary Rig Counts

                      December 2009            November  2009    December 2008
                     Land  OS  Total   Var.   Land  OS  Total   Land  OS Total
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Europe          38   46   84     (2)     40   46   86      48   53  101
      Middle East    215   36  251     (2)    221   32  253     246   33  279
      Africa          59   11   70      2      54   14   68      51   16   67
      Latin America  280   73  353     (8)    284   77  361     312   77  389
      Asia Pacific   151  115  266      9     142  115  257     130  112  242
                     ---  ---  ---            ---  ---  ---     ---  ---  ---

    International    743  281 1024     (1)    741  284 1025     787  291 1078

      United States 1136   36 1172     65    1071   36 1107    1716   66 1782
      Canada         310    3  313     36     277    0  277     359    2  361
                     ---  ---  ---            ---  ---  ---     ---  ---  ---
    North America   1446   39 1485    101    1348   36 1384    2075   68 2143
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Worldwide       2189  320 2509    100    2089  320 2409    2862  359 3221

About the Baker Hughes Rig Counts

The Baker Hughes Rotary Rig Counts are counts of the number of drilling rigs actively exploring for

or developing oil or natural gas in the United States, Canada and international markets. Baker Hughes has issued the rotary rig counts as a service to the petroleum industry since 1944, when Hughes Tool Company began weekly counts of US and Canadian drilling activity. Hughes initiated the monthly international rig count in 1975.

North American rig count data is scheduled to be released at noon central time on the last working day of each week. The international rig count is scheduled to be released on the 5th working day of the month. Additional detailed information on the Baker Hughes rig counts is available from our website at http://www.bakerhughes.com/investor/rig.

Baker Hughes provides reservoir consulting, drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production products and services to the worldwide oil and gas industry.

    Contacts:                                 Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Gary R. Flaharty (713) 439-8039           P.O. Box 4740
    H. Gene Shiels (713) 439-8822             Houston, Texas 77210-4740

SOURCE Baker Hughes Incorporated