Basin rig count up three as prices soar

The rig count in the Permian Basin was up three this week, the latest count Friday by Baker Hughes shows, with 310 rigs active in the region. A year ago, 357 rigs were active in the region.

Nationally, the oil and gas rig count is up one from last week at 621 rigs. A year ago, 771 rigs were active. The count shows that 499 rigs sought oil, up two from the previous week, and 119 explored for natural gas, down one from the previous week.

The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in August of 2020 at 244.

The regional benchmark Plains-West Texas Intermediate Posting ended Friday at $74.49 per barrel, up $4.60 from last Friday’s close. National benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude ended at $78.01 per barrel, up $4.60 from the previous week.