HOUSTON—The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by seven this week to 1,854 from a week ago.
Drilling product provider Baker Hughes Inc., based in Houston, reported Friday that 959 rigs were exploring for oil and 887 for natural gas. Eight were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, the count was 1,506.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained eight rigs, and Alaska gained two. Louisiana, New Mexico and Pennsylvania picked up one apiece.
Oklahoma lost three rigs while Colorado, North Dakota and West Virginia dropped by one each.
Activity in Arkansas, California and Wyoming was unchanged.
The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981, the height of the oil boom. A record low of 488 was counted in 1999.
