The number of active drilling rigs in the United States decreased to 618 this week, down by seven from the previous week and by 152 from last year, according to the weekly data released Friday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.
These active drilling rigs included 496 oil rigs operating in U.S. oil fields, down by eight from the previous week; 118 gas drilling rigs, up by one from last week; and four miscellaneous rigs, unchanged from last week.
The rigs included 594 land drilling rigs, three inland water rigs, and 21 offshore drilling rigs.
Of them, 54 are directional drilling rigs, 549 are horizontal drilling rigs and 15 are vertical drilling rigs.
The Permian Basin in western Texas and eastern New Mexico has been the largest source of shale oil production growth in the United States, and an engine of supply growth outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in past years.
