HOUSTON (AP) — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. declined by two this week to 929.
That exceeds the 658 rigs that were active this time a year ago.
Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes reported on Friday that 747 rigs were drilling for oil and 182 for natural gas this week.
Among oil- and gas-producing states, Colorado and Ohio each gained one rig.
North Dakota and Texas were down by two each, while Utah decreased by one.
Alaska, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming were unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in May of 2016 at 404.
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