Onshore activity held steady during the week ended Friday (July 30), but a decline in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) saw the overall U.S. rig count slide three units to 488, according to the latest figures from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).

shale rig count July 30

Declines in the United States included two oil-directed rigs and one natural gas-directed unit. The combined 488 active rigs as of Friday is nearly double the 251 rigs running in the year-ago period, according to the BKR numbers, which are based partly on data from Enverus.

The GOM saw three rigs exit during the period, lowering its total to 14 versus 12 a year ago. Land rigs remained unchanged at 473, while one rig continued to operate in inland waters. Four directional units and two vertical units exited overall for the week, partially offset by the...