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HOUSTON (AP) — Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. declined by six this week to 1,854.
The Houston firm said in its weekly report Friday that 1,542 rigs were exploring for oil and 310 for gas. Two were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,771 active rigs.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, New Mexico gained five rigs and Wyoming increased by three. Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania were up two each while West Virginia rose by one.
Texas declined by eight, Louisiana was down four and California and Ohio lost one apiece.
Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota and Utah were unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.
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