The U.S. natural gas rig count was unchanged at 157 for the week ended Friday (Oct. 21), while oil-directed activity gains helped raise the combined domestic tally two units to 771, according to updated figures from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).

rig count

Net changes domestically included a two-rig increase in oil-directed drilling. Total land rigs increased by one, with one rig added in the Gulf of Mexico. An increase of three horizontal rigs was partially offset by a one-rig decline in vertical drilling.

The combined 771 active U.S. rigs as of Friday compares with 542 rigs running in the year-earlier period, according to the BKR numbers, which are partly based on data from Enverus.

Canada, meanwhile, dropped six units — all oil-directed — to fall to 210 active rigs as of Friday, versus...