Number of active U.S. drilling rigs increases this week

HOUSTON, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The number of active drilling rigs in the United States increased by one to 255 rigs this week, down by 613 year on year, according to the weekly data released Friday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

These active drilling rigs included 179 oil rigs operating in the U.S. oil fields, down by one from the previous week; 73 gas drilling rigs, up by two from the previous week; and three miscellaneous rigs, unchanged from last week.