US rig count up seven as prices drop

The rig count in the Permian Basin was unchanged this week, the latest count Friday by Baker Hughes shows, with 345 rigs active in the region. A year ago, 237 rigs were active in the region.

Nationally, the oil and gas rig count is up seven from last week at 740 rigs. A year ago, 470 rigs were active. The count shows that 584 rigs sought oil, up four from the previous week, and 154 explored for natural gas, up three 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 $106.04 per barrel, down $11.11 from last Friday’s close. National benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude ended at $109.56 per barrel, down $11.11 from the previous week.