US rig count up 9 to 1,818

HOUSTON (AP) -- Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by nine this week to 1,818.

The Houston firm said in its weekly report Friday that 1,498 rigs were exploring for oil and 316 for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,738 active rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained 11 rigs, Oklahoma increased by five, Pennsylvania gained three and New Mexico increased by two.

Louisiana lost six, Alaska fell by three, Kansas lost two and California, Colorado and Wyoming lost one each.

Arkansas, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah and West Virginia were unchanged.

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