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| Sublette County Rig Count: Up, Up, and now down? As of May 29th, 2009, there are about 30 drilling rigs operating in Sublette County. 30 rigs is equivalent to the fewest number of rigs operating within the county since May of 2005 and represents a precipitous drop from the all time high of 67 rigs operating in October of 2008. A sharp drop in natural gas prices (70% declines) caused by weakened demand in the face of the global economic downturn is to blame for the decline in production. ------------------------------------------------ The number of drilling rigs active in the area has a direct and immediate effect on the workforce population in Sublette County. At any given time, each drilling rig requires a direct workforce of about 22 people, the vast majority of whom are "non-residents" of the area. When the weekly rotations of the workforce are tallied, about 44 different individuals are dedicated to each rig. Scores of additional workers are also needed to provide support and services to the rigs. |
| Click on Graphs to Enlarge |
| Graph: Sublette County Monthly Rig Count 01/00 -- 5/29/09 |
| Graph: Rig Count by Field 01/00 -- 5/29/09 |
| With the added winter activity, the 2006 winter drilling fluctuation was among the lowest on record. The number of rigs dropped by about 3 this winter, or about 7%. As a percentage of the overall total, the seasonal fluctuations have been decreasing gradually since 2002. The drop in the actual number of rigs has been increasing since 2003, although it dropped substantially this past winter. Fluctuations are expected to decrease in the coming years as winter drilling in the Pinedale Anticline continues to expand and activity increases in the Jonah Field increases under the Jonah Infill Project. |
| All Rig Count Data is from Drilling Records Inc./Divestco, USA. |
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