Texas is home to almost half the land-based drilling for oil and gas in the U.S. Moreover, Texas features a broader range of plays and drilling approaches to those plays than any other state.  Given this, The Land Rig Newsletter team recently embarked on a detailed analysis of the trends shaping oil and gas within the state. Two broad themes were investigated: the migration of rigs from east to west and the transfer of technology from unconventional gas to unconventional oil. These developments have had profound impacts on rigs and drilling in the Lone Star state.

Oil’s superior economics spurred a mass migration of rigs. Oil-directed drilling now accounts for more than half the rigs drilling in Texas, up from less than 20% in 2008. Railroad district 8 benefited greatly with an increase of 106 rigs from December 2008 through late May.

Also traveling with the rigs were the newfound tools, skills, and technologies developed in the unconventional gas fields. Key technologies making a difference include horizontal drilling and multistage frac completions. How big was the impact?  In ’08, horizontal drilling represented about 35% of oil and gas drilling in Texas. Today, more than half the wells drilled ...