US rig count down by 11 to 1,749

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs actively drilling for oil and natural gas in the U.S. dropped by 12 to 1,749 the week ending Jan. 18. The Houston-based company said in its weekly report that 1,316 rigs were drilling for oil and 429 for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, Baker Hughes counted 2,008 working rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, North Dakota gained five rigs, Pennsylvania increased by four and Arkansas by two. Meanwhile, Texas declined by 11 rigs, Oklahoma three, New Mexico two, and Colorado, Louisiana and Wyoming one each. Alaska, California and West Virginia were unchanged.

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

—Associated Press