A ramp-up in oil drilling, especially in the Permian Basin, sent the U.S. rig count surging seven units higher to 491 for the week ended Friday (July 23), the latest numbers from oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Co. (BKR) show.

Rig Count

All of the net gains domestically for the week occurred in the oil patch, with natural gas-directed rigs holding flat at 104. The 491 active U.S. rigs as of Friday compares with 251 rigs in the year-ago period, according to the BKR figures, which are based partly on data from Enverus.

Land drilling increased by seven rigs week/week, with the Gulf of Mexico count unchanged at 17. Horizontal rigs increased by five overall, with one directional rig and one vertical unit also added during the period.

The Canadian rig count eased one unit lower...