North Dakota nearly erased recent gains in the number of rigs deployed in exploration and production in the shale-rich state, losing three from last week. State data show 68 rigs actively engaged in exploration and production as of Monday , down 4 percent from last week and 64 percent lower year-on-year. The shale-rich state bucked an industry trend last week by adding more rigs to it reserve basins. Rig counts serve as a barometer for the health of an energy sector in recession because of the low price of crude oil, down more than 50 percent from last year. Compared with other states , North Dakota is in the middle of the pack in terms of rig count variances. For […]