Canadian drilling activity logged 14 spuds on April 23, running below the 30-day average of 20.6 per day and up modestly from 11 the prior session, though the weekly pace has deteriorated sharply — 35 spuds so far this week against 109 the week prior. The active rig count stood at 139 as of April 17, down two week-on-week and off a four-week high of 149 in late March. Teine Energy Ltd. led operators with five spuds, followed by Headwater Exploration Inc. and Clear North Energy Corp. with two each. Year-to-date spuds of 3,559 trail the prior-year comparable of 4,195 by 15.2%, a gap that warrants monitoring as the sector moves through spring breakup.