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

HOUSTON, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of active drilling rigs in the United States fell to 687 this week, down by eight from the previous week and by 53 from one year ago, according to the weekly data released Friday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

These active drilling rigs included 552 oil rigs operating in the U.S. oil fields, down by four from the previous week; 130 gas drilling rigs, down by five from last week; and five miscellaneous rigs, up by one from last week.

The rigs included 665 land drilling rigs, two inland water rigs, and 20 offshore drilling rigs.

Of them, 52 are directional drilling rigs, 615 are horizontal drilling rigs and 20 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 the past years.