Domestic drilling activity in the second quarter was twice the level of second quarter drilling recorded during the 1990s, with natural gas leading the way at a record-setting pace, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported in its well completion report for the period.

Drilling for the first half of the year hasn’t been this high since 1985, the API said. Second quarter activity, which was at a 21-year high, saw a total of 13,009 oil wells, natural gas wells and dry holes completed, up 3% from the comparable period in 2006. It was preceded by strong drilling activity in the first quarter of the year, with 11,771 wells and dry holes completed (see Daily GPI, April 30).

Natural gas continues to be the primary target for domestic drilling, the oil and gas producer group said. It estimated that 7,209 natural gas wells were completed in the second quarter, setting a record for gas activity for the period. It comes on the heels of record gas activity in the first quarter during which 7,085 gas wells were completed.

The API reported that the resurgence in oil well completions is continuing. An estimated 4,458 oil wells were completed in the second quarter, the highest second quarter level since 1985, it said.

Total estimated exploratory completions, accounting for almost 11% of total estimated completions, increased 39% in the second quarter compared to the same period a year ago, the API said. It noted that total development completions remained unchanged.

It also reported an increase in reported estimated footage, with 75,682,000 feet drilled in the second quarter. This was up 6% from the comparable period in 2006 and was the highest second quarter estimated footage drilled in more than two decades, according to the API.

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