HOUSTON (AP) — Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. this week declined by four to 767.

Houston's Baker Hughes said Friday that 574 rigs were seeking oil and 193 explored for natural gas. A year ago, with oil prices about double the prices now, 1,928 rigs were active.

Among major oil- and gas-producing states, California and Texas each lost two rigs and Colorado, Louisiana and North Dakota each lost one rig.

Oklahoma gained two rigs and New Mexico gained one.

Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming were all unchanged.

The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.

 

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