HOUSTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The number of active drilling rigs in the United States decreased by one to 990 this week, and 42 rigs down from this time last year, according to the weekly data released by oilfield services provider Baker Hughes on Friday.
The number of rigs operating in the U.S. oil fields increased by two to 807 this week, and more than half of them were located in the Permian Basin region of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The number of gas drilling rigs decreased by three to 183, and the number of miscellaneous drilling rigs remained at zero.
The Houston-based oilfield services company reported that both the number of land drilling rigs and inland waters drilling rigs remained the same at 966 and four, respectively. The number of offshore drilling rigs decreased by one to 20 rigs.
The number of directional drilling rigs and horizontal drilling rigs both stayed level at 71 and 873 rigs. The number of vertical drilling rigs decreased by one to 46 rigs.
When it comes to major U.S. states, the number of drilling rigs increased by three in the state of Alaska. The state of Texas decreased most by seven to 484 rigs.
Oil prices increased on Friday, as the market was buoyed by a surge in U.S. employment last month and Russia's fulfillment to production cut as pledged in a deal between OPEC and its allies.
The West Texas Intermediate for June delivery rose 0.13 U.S. dollar to settle at 61.94 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for July delivery increased 0.10 dollar to close at 70.85 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.
