HOUSTON -- The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 12 last week to 952.
A year ago, just 440 rigs were active.
Houston oil-field services company Baker Hughes said Friday that 763 rigs were seeking oil and 189 explored for natural gas last week.
Among major oil- and gas-producing states, Oklahoma and Alaska each gained four rigs. Louisiana and Texas were up two apiece.
New Mexico and Utah each declined by one.
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming were all unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in May of 2016 at 404.
SundayMonday Business on 07/10/2017