US rig count declines by 17 to 1,914

The number of rigs actively drilling for oil and natural gas in the U.S. declined by 17 the week ending Aug. 17 to 1,914.

Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. reported that 1,425 rigs were drilling for oil and 484 were drilling for gas. Five were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, Baker Hughes listed 1,974 rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming each gained two rigs and West Virginia was up one.

Texas declined by nine rigs, North Dakota was down six and Pennsylvania four. Arkansas, California and Louisiana each dropped by one.

Alaska and Oklahoma were unchanged.

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

—Associated Press