Number of active oil rigs falls by 1

HOUSTON — The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States fell by one this week to 899, down more than half from a year ago.

Of the rigs running nationwide, 703 were exploring for natural gas and 187 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. Nine were listed as miscellaneous.

A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,877. The U.S. count is down 56 percent since the end of August as weak energy demand has hampered oilfield activity.

Oil prices peaked at almost $150 a barrel in July before plunging. Light, sweet crude rose 58 cents to $65.66 a barrel in trading Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Wyoming lost three rigs while Arkansas, California and Texas each lost one. Louisiana and North Dakota each added two rigs and Alaska and New Mexico each gained one. Colorado and Oklahoma were unchanged.

Baker Hughes has tracked rig counts since 1944. The tally peaked at 4,530 in 1981, during the height of the oil boom. The industry posted several record lows in 1999, bottoming out at 488.