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

HOUSTON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The number of active drilling rigs in the United States rose to 680 this week, up by six from the previous week but down by 72 from this time last year, according to the weekly data released by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes on Friday.

These active drilling rigs included 540 oil rigs operating in U.S. oil fields, down by five from the previous week; 135 gas rigs, up by 11; and five miscellaneous rigs, down by one.

The rigs included 657 land drilling rigs, four inland water drilling rigs, and 19 offshore drilling rigs.

Of them, 53 were directional drilling rigs, 611 were horizontal drilling rigs and 16 were vertical drilling rigs.