The steep drop in oil and gas exploration wells across the nation continues. According to figures from oil field services company Baker Hughes, eight rigs stopped operation last week, adding to the 21 that stopped drilling the week before.
The company reports that the active rig count in the U.S. this week is 822, which is down about a fifth from a year ago when 1,067 rigs were in operation.
Alaska lost one rig last week, and Baker Hughes shows seven active in the state, which is up from five active rigs a year ago.
The United States rig count peaked at 4,530 way back in 1981, and bottomed out in 2016 at 404.