Nearly half of U.S. oil rigs located in Texas

TEXAS – The number of drilling rigs in South Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale increased by three to reach 229 in the week ended December 13, 2013, Baker Hughes Inc. reports.

Overall, the U.S. rig count jumped by seven to 1,782 for the same period. In Texas, which houses both the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin, the number increased by six to 848.

While Texas had the largest number of rigs of any state, North Dakota — home or the oil-rich Bakken Shale — had the largest weekly jump. The number of active rigs there shot up by seven to 174.

Oklahoma experienced the largest decline, losing six rigs for the period. Its overall number hit 174.

The number of active oil rigs in the United States was up 14 to 1,411 for the week, while natural gas rigs declined by six to 369. With gas prices low, many exploration companies have focused on oil rather than gas development.