Shirley Prejean
March 12, 2007Clyde Dennis
March 14, 2007THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States increased by five last week to 1,757.
Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,465 were exploring for natural gas and 287 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. Five were listed as miscellaneous.
A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,532.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Colorado gained six rigs, Oklahoma gained five, Texas gained three and New Mexico gained two. Louisiana lost 11 rigs while Alaska and Wyoming each lost one. The number of rigs was unchanged in California.
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.
