US drilling rig count up 3 to 1,920

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs drilling for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by three the week ending Dec. 5 to 1,920.

The Houston firm said in its weekly report that 1,575 rigs were drilling for oil and 344 for gas. One was listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,775 active rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Kansas gained five rigs, Louisiana increased by four, Alaska and Arkansas each gained two and California, New Mexico and Ohio each gained one.

Texas lost five rigs, Oklahoma lost three, Colorado lost two and Pennsylvania and Wyoming each lost one.

North Dakota, Utah and West Virginia were unchanged.

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

- Associated Press