Rig count unchanged
HOUSTON (AP) – Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. did not change this week, remaining at 1,776.
The Houston-based company said in its weekly report Friday 1,388 rigs were exploring for oil and 380 for gas. Eight were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,894 active rigs.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Louisiana gained two rigs and Alaska, California, Oklahoma and Utah each gained one.
Pennsylvania and Texas each lost two rigs and Colorado and Wyoming each lost one. Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio and West Virginia were unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.