The U.S. rig count climbed three units to 779 for the period ended Dec. 22, bolstered by gains in the Permian Basin, according to the latest figures from oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).

shale rigs

Two oil-directed rigs and one natural gas-directed rig were added in the United States for the period. Land drilling accounted for all of the week’s gains, as the Gulf of Mexico tally held steady at 15. Three horizontal rigs were added alongside one vertical unit. Partially offsetting was a one-rig decline in directional rigs.

The 779 active U.S. rigs as of Thursday compares with 586 rigs running in the year-earlier period, according to the BKR numbers, which are partly based on data from Enverus.

Canada, meanwhile, posted a steep drop-off for the week, with 103 rigs...