Baker Hughes Announces August 2009 Rig Counts

HOUSTON, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE: BHI) announced today that the international rig count for August 2009 was 947, down 27 from the 974 counted in July 2009, and down 140 from the 1,087 counted in August 2008. The international offshore rig count for August 2009 was 261, down 14 from the 275 counted in July 2009 and down 31 from the 292 counted in August 2008.

The US rig count for August 2009 was 980, up 49 from the 931 counted in July 2009 and down 1,007 from the 1,987 counted in August 2008. The Canadian rig count for August 2009 was 178, up 3 from the 175 counted in July 2009 and down 271 from the 449 counted in August 2008.

The worldwide rig count for August 2009 was 2,105, up 25 from the 2,080 counted in July 2009 and down 1,418 from the 3,523 counted in August 2008.

August 2009 Rotary Rig Counts

                      August 2009              July 2009         August 2008
                   Land   OS  Total  Var.   Land   OS  Total  Land   OS  Total

      Europe         37   41     78     5     34   39     73    49   48     97
      Middle East   203   31    234   (15)   217   32    249   257   32    289
      Africa         44   14     58     1     45   12     57    46   16     62
      Latin America 268   76    344    (7)   268   83    351   307   75    382
      Asia Pacific  134   99    233   (11)   135  109    244   136  121    257
                    ---   --    ---          ---  ---    ---   ---  ---    ---

    International   686  261    947   (27)   699  275    974   795  292   1087

      United States 949   31    980    49    894   37    931  1920   67   1987
      Canada        177    1    178     3    174    1    175   448    1    449
                    ---    -    ---     -    ---    -    ---   ---    -    ---

    North America  1126   32   1158    52   1068   38   1106  2368   68   2436

    Worldwide      1812  293   2105    25   1767  313   2080  3163  360   3523

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. 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 at http://www.bakerhughes.com/investor/rig.

Baker Hughes provides reservoir consulting, drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production products and services to the worldwide oil and gas industry.

    Contacts:
    Gary R. Flaharty (713) 439-8039
    H. Gene Shiels (713) 439-8822

SOURCE Baker Hughes Incorporated