US Oil and Gas Rigs Declined

The number of US oil and gas actively exploring rigs declined by 13 this week to 1,230, Yahoo Finance reports.

Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,060 were exploring for gas, 169 were looking for oil and one was listed as miscellaneous, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday.

A year ago, the rig count was 1,109.
Baker Hughes has kept track of the count since 1944. The tally peaked at 4,530 in 1981, during the height of the oil boom. Several record lows were set in 1999, bottoming out at 488.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Wyoming and Louisiana each gained three rigs, while California and Oklahoma each gained one. Texas lost 14 rigs. New Mexico and Alaska were unchanged.