U.S. Rig Count Increases by 10 This Week to 1,764

HOUSTON (AP) -- Oilfield services company Baker Hughes (BHI) says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by 10 this week to 1,764.

The Houston-based company said in its weekly report on Friday that 1,403 rigs were exploring for oil and 354 for gas. Seven were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,965 rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Alaska and Oklahoma each gained five rigs, while North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming increased by one. Texas lost three rigs, and Louisiana and New Mexico each decreased by one. Arkansas, California, Colorado, and West Virginia remained unchanged.

The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.