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

HOUSTON, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The number of active drilling rigs in the United States increased by nine to 360 rigs this week, down by 421 year on year, according to the weekly data released Friday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

These active drilling rigs included 275 oil rigs operating in the U.S. oil fields, up by wight from the previous week; 84 gas drilling rigs, up by one from the previous week and one miscellaneous rigs, unchanged from last week.