HOUSTON (AP) -- Oilfield services company Baker Hughes (BHI +0.00%) says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by 13 this week to 1,758.
The Houston-based company said in its weekly report Friday that 1,371 rigs were exploring for oil and 379 for gas. Eight were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, there were 1,972 rigs.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, California and Colorado each gained two rigs while Louisiana and Pennsylvania were up one apiece.
Texas led this week's decline, down 11 rigs. Oklahoma fell by five and Alaska, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming were off two each. Arkansas and West Virginia were unchanged.
The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.
