ENERGY
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Rig Count Drops By 19: Driven by losses in Oklahoma and Texas, the number of working oil and gas rigs in the United States dropped by 19 last week to 687, Baker Hughes Inc. said. The week’s decline followed an increase of 38 posted the previous week. A year ago, the count stood at 758, the Houston tool maker said. Earlier this summer, the rig count dropped to a record low of 596. The count is a widely watched index of domestic drilling activity. It represents the number of rigs actively exploring for--not producing--oil and natural gas.
