HOUSTON (AP) — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. decreased by eight this week to 1,046.
At this time a year ago there were 950 active rigs.
Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes reported Friday that 858 rigs drilled for oil this week and 187 for gas. One was listed as miscellaneous.
Among major oil- and gas-producing states, New Mexico gained four rigs and Ohio and Wyoming each increased by one.
Texas lost five rigs, Oklahoma decreased by three, Louisiana lost two and Alaska, North Dakota and West Virginia each decreased by one.
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Utah were unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in May 2016 at 404.
