Rig count rises by 30 to 1,861
HOUSTON – Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. said the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by 30 this week to 1,861.
The Houston-based firm said in its weekly report Friday that 1,534 rigs were exploring for oil and 323 for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous.There were 1,754 active rigs a year ago.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, West Virginia gained four rigs; Pennsylvania two; Texas 10; Oklahoma five; Kansas three; Colorado, Louisiana and New Mexico two each; and North Dakota and Wyoming one.
Ohio lost one rig, while Alaska, Arkansas and Utah were unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.