Rig Count Rises

HOUSTON (TheStreet) -- Those divining signs of economic recovery and drilling activity in the energy sector by sifting rig count totals may have felt buoyed today, as a few more active rigs were added since last week.

According to data out of Baker Hughes(BHI Quote) on Friday, 7 active rigs were heaped on to the U.S. composite, bring the week's total rig count to 1,024.

Still, that's well below the 1,979 rigs totaled just one year ago.

Oil exploration was aided with another 6 units this week, bringing its total to 303 oil rigs. Natural gas rigs rose by 6, upping its total to 712. The so-called "miscellaneous" classification -- which sounds more like the mystery box of rig counts as opposed to the geothermals that they are -- lost a rig, bringing its total down to 9.

Among the major oil and gas producing states, Colorado dropped the most rigs, going 7 down. Texas, meanwhile, gained 14 rigs in the same period.

In the afternoon, shares of several major oil servicers were down. Schlumberger(SLB Quote), Halliburton(HAL Quote) and Baker Hughes were sliding 0.9%, 1.8% and 2.1% each.

Cameron(CAM Quote) and Smith(SII Quote) also changed hands lower, losing 0.8% and 2.8%, respectively.

Not to be missed, Weatherford(WFT Quote), too, was down 22 cents, or 1.1%, at $19.54 in the afternoon.

-- Written by Sung Moss in New York

Follow TheStreet.com on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.