The U.S. natural gas rig count finished unchanged at 102 during the week ended Friday (Nov. 19) as the oil patch continued to set the pace for growth in domestic drilling activity, according to the latest numbers from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).

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The overall U.S. rig count added seven units — all oil-directed — to reach 563 for the week, roughly 250 rigs higher than the 310 rigs running in the year-earlier period. Like the natural gas rig count, the Gulf of Mexico tally was also unchanged for the week, finishing at 15, according to the BKR numbers, which are partly based on data from Enverus.

Seven horizontal rigs were added domestically, while directional and vertical rig totals were unchanged.

The Canadian rig count slid one unit to 167 for the period, with a net decline of...