There are around 1,470 offshore oil rigs around the world, which means this role could take you anywhere from the UK to Australia or even the Gulf of Mexico or the Middle East. At any one time you will find nearly 200 people living and working on a rig. The total number of oil rigs reached as high as 1609 before being cut to just 325 within 2 years. US Oil Rig Count is at a current level of 733.00, down from 738.00 last week and down from 860.00 one year ago. This is a change of -0.68% from last week and -14.77% from one year ago. Offshore oil and gas in the United States provides a large portion of the nation’s oil and gas supply. Large oil and gas reservoirs are found under the sea offshore from Louisiana, Texas, California, and Alaska. Environmental concerns have prevented or restricted offshore drilling in some areas, and the issue has been hotly debated at the local and national levels.