US rig count up 3 in latest week to 1,928

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by three this week to 1,928.

The Houston firm said Friday in its weekly report that 1,578 rigs were exploring for oil and 350 for gas. A year ago there were 1,762 active rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Ohio gained five rigs and New Mexico increased by three. Alaska, California, Louisiana, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming each gained one.

Texas declined by four, Pennsylvania was down three and Kansas and Oklahoma dropped one apiece.

Arkansas, Colorado and North Dakota were unchanged.

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