The U.S. natural gas rig count added one unit to climb to 120 for the week ended Thursday (Dec. 21), while declines in the oil patch helped drop the overall domestic tally by three to 620, according to the latest figures from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).

The 120 active U.S. natural gas rigs as of Thursday compares with 155 rigs running in the year-ago period. Offsetting the one-rig increase in natural gas drilling for the week, three oil-directed rigs and one miscellaneous rig packed up shop in the United States. Declines of three directional rigs and three vertical rigs were partly offset by an increase of three horizontal rigs, BKR data show.

The overall domestic rig count of 620 represents a sizable drop-off from the 779 rigs running in the year-earlier period, according to the...