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

HOUSTON, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of active drilling rigs in the United States increased by three to 351 rigs this week, down by 445 year on year, according to the weekly data released Wednesday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

These active drilling rigs included 267 oil rigs operating in the U.S. oil fields, up by three from the previous week; 83 gas drilling rigs and one miscellaneous rigs, both unchanged from last week.