US rig count up five as prices slip

The rig count in the Permian Basin was up two this week, the latest count Friday by Baker Hughes shows, with 358 rigs active in the region. A year ago, 334 rigs were active in the region.

Nationally, the oil and gas rig count is up five from last week at 753 rigs. A year ago, 695 rigs were active. The count shows that 591 rigs sought oil, up three from the previous week, and 159 explored for natural gas, up two 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 $74.35 per barrel, down $4.65 from last Friday’s close. National benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude ended at $77.87 per barrel, down $4.65 from the previous week.