The rig count in the Permian Basin was unchanged this week, the latest count Friday by Baker Hughes shows, with 254 rigs active in the region. A year ago, 306 rigs were active in the region.

Nationally, the oil and gas rig count is up two from last week at 539 rigs. A year ago, 590 rigs were active. The count shows that 416 rigs sought oil, up two from the previous week, and 118 explored for natural gas, unchanged from the previous week. The count also shows five miscellaneous rigs, unchanged 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 $59.17 per barrel, up 82 cents from last Friday’s close. National benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude ended

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