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HOUSTON—The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States was down this week by nine to 1,760.
Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,443 were exploring for natural gas and 311 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. Six were listed as miscellaneous.
A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,744.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Colorado gained five rigs. Louisiana lost 10, New Mexico lost three, Texas and California each lost two and Wyoming lost one. Alaska and Oklahoma were unchanged.
Baker Hughes has tracked rig counts since 1944. The tally peaked at 4,530 in 1981, during the height of the oil boom. The industry posted several record lows in 1999, bottoming out at 488.
