HOUSTON (AP) — Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by eight this week to 1,930.

The Houston firm said Friday in its weekly report that 1,609 rigs were exploring for oil and 320 for gas. One was listed as miscellaneous. A year ago there were 1,743 active rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, New Mexico gained three rigs, Ohio, West Virginia and Wyoming each increased by two and Kansas, Texas and Utah each gained one.

North Dakota lost seven rigs, Louisiana and Pennsylvania each decreased by two and Arkansas, California and Oklahoma each lost one.

Alaska and Colorado were unchanged.

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

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