U.S. rig count rises 5 this week

HOUSTON, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The active number of drilling rigs in the United States continues to grow thanks to increasing activity in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, according to weekly data collected by Baker Hughes released on Friday.

Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes reported that the overall rig count grew by five, up to 1,008 in total. Four of the five rigs added to the Gulf and three in Texas. The loss of two rigs drilling for natural gas kept the rig count from growing higher.

As oil prices have risen for much of the last year or so, the rig count has steadily climbed, finally rising above 1,000 rigs a week ago for the first time since April 2015.

Oil drilling currently accounts for 815 rigs of the total. Enditem