US rig count up 6 to 1,861

HOUSTON (AP) -- Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by four this week to 1,857.

The Houston firm said in its weekly report Friday that 1,528 rigs were exploring for oil and 325 for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,762 active rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Alaska gained two rigs and Colorado and Louisiana increased by one apiece.

Oklahoma declined by four, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas were down two each and Arkansas dropped one.

California, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming were all unchanged.

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