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US rig count falls 30 this week to 1,746

[March 23, 2013]  HOUSTON (AP) -- Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by 30 this week to 1,746.

The Houston-based company said in its weekly report on Friday that 1,324 rigs were actively exploring for oil and 418 for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago Baker Hughes counted 1,968 working rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, only West Virginia posted a gain, up 1 rig. Texas dropped by 11, Pennsylvania six, Louisiana five, Oklahoma four, North Dakota and Wyoming three each, and Alaska and Colorado by one apiece. Arkansas, California and New Mexico were unchanged.

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

[Associated Press]

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