Basin rig count down six as prices slip

The rig count in the Permian Basin was down six this week, the latest count Friday by Baker Hughes shows, with 343 rigs active in the region. A year ago, 316 rigs were active in the region.

Nationally, the oil and gas rig count is down three from last week at 746 rigs. A year ago, 663 rigs were active. The count shows that 590 rigs sought oil, down two from the previous week, and 153 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 $73.16 per barrel, down $3.00 from last Friday’s close. National benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude ended at $76.68 per barrel, down $3.00 from the previous week.