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Analysts at U.S. Capital Advisors on Thursday published a 78-page slide deck outlining their views on the year ahead, including what’s in store for drilling activity across the various plays. Among other things, the analysts looked at operator debt burdens by play as a potential signal for where things are heading.

The rig count in North Dakota’s Bakken Shale started the new year at 58, the lowest level since 2009, state officials told NGI’s Shale Daily on Tuesday, adding that the count is expected to fall further during the first half of the year.

Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (PTEN), one of North America’s largest onshore contract drilling and pressure pumping operators, said Tuesday it had, on average, 82 U.S. rigs and one Canadian rig working during December, compared with a year ago when 208 domestic and nine Canadian rigs were in operation.

The United States saw two oil-directed rigs and no natural gas units leave the hunt in the final rig count of 2015, according to Baker Hughes Inc.

The U.S. rig count fell again in the report released by Baker Hughes Inc. on Wednesday (Dec. 23), two days earlier than usual to accommodate the Christmas holiday.

The U.S. rig count fell again in the report released by Baker Hughes Inc. on Wednesday (Dec. 23), two days earlier than usual to accommodate the Christmas holiday.

After plummeting 28 rigs in the week-ago tally, the Baker Hughes Inc. census of active U.S. drilling rigs held steady with the previous week in the report issued Friday (Dec. 18).

Drillers voted overwhelmingly in favor of oil in the latest Baker Hughes Inc. U.S. rig count. While the overall U.S. count was static, 17 oil rigs were added, neatly offset by the departure of 17 natural gas rigs.

The North American rig count swooned last week, losing 31 units, according to Baker Hughes Inc., just as a group of oilfield services (OFS) analysts said in a note assessing the sector that things are “so bad it may be good.”