US rig count tumbles by 29 to 1,811

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs drilling for oil and natural gas in the U.S. plummeted by 29 the week ending Jan. 2 to 1,811.

The Houston firm said in its weekly report that 1,482 rigs were drilling for oil and 328 for gas. One was listed as miscellaneous. A year ago 1,751 rigs were active.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, none showed any gains.

Texas plunged by 12, California dropped by six, Colorado fell by three, Louisiana declined two and Alaska, Arkansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wyoming were down one apiece.

Kansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, 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