HOUSTON — Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by six this week to 1,782.
The Houston-based company said in its weekly report Friday that 1,388 rigs were exploring for oil and 388 for gas. Six were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,924 active rigs.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, West Virginia gained 11 rigs, Alaska and Louisiana each gained five, Texas gained three and Ohio gained one.
Oklahoma lost eight rigs, New Mexico lost three, Colorado, Kansas and Pennsylvania each lost two and North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming each lost one. Arkansas and California were unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.
