Baker Hughes Announces March 2012 Rig Counts

HOUSTON, April 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE:BHI) announced today that the international rig count for March 2012 was 1,192, down 12 from the 1,204 counted in February 2012, and up 45 from the 1,147 counted in March 2011. The international offshore rig count for March 2012 was 303, down 17 from the 320 counted in February 2012 and up 8 from the 295 counted in March 2011. 

The average U.S. rig count for March 2012 was 1,979, down 11 from the 1,990 counted in February 2012 and up 259 from the 1,720 counted in March 2011.  The average Canadian rig count for March 2012 was 492, down 214 from the 706 counted in February 2012 and down 75 from the 567 counted in March 2011.

The worldwide rig count for March 2012 was 3,663, down 237 from the 3,900 counted in February 2012 and up 229 from the 3,434 counted in March 2011.      

March 2012 Rotary Rig Counts

				March 2012				Month		February 2012				March 2011
				Land	OS	Total		Variance		Land	OS	Total		Land	OS	Total
		Europe		67	42	109		-11		72	48	120		70	48	118
		Middle East		266	46	312		1		261	50	311		247	41	288
		Africa		54	35	89		8		48	33	81		44	21	65
		Latin America		351	87	438		-1		349	90	439		335	80	415
		Asia Pacific		151	93	244		-9		154	99	253		156	105	261
	International			889	303	1,192		-12		884	320	1,204		852	295	1,147
		United States		1,936	43	1,979		-11		1,948	42	1,990		1,694	26	1,720
		Canada		492	0	492		-214		706	0	706		565	2	567
	North America			2,428	43	2,471		-225		2,654	42	2,696		2,259	28	2,287
	Worldwide			3,317	346	3,663		-237		3,538	362	3,900		3,111	323	3,434

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.  Baker 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.

Baker Hughes is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. The company's 57,000-plus employees today work in more than 80 countries helping customers find, evaluate, drill, produce, transport and process hydrocarbon resources. For more information on Baker Hughes' century-long history, visit www.bakerhughes.com.

SOURCE Baker Hughes