Rig Count U.S.

The U.S. natural gas rig count fell one unit to 69 during the week ending Friday (Aug. 21), a small decline overshadowed by a decisive uptick in oil-directed activity, the latest data from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR) show.

For the first time since the widespread adoption of measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 began hammering energy demand earlier this year, the United States added rigs on a week/week basis. The U.S. count climbed 10 rigs overall, powered by an 11-rig increase in oil activity. That left the combined domestic tally at 254 for the week, down from 916 in the year-ago period.

Friday’s data marked the first weekly increase in the oilfield services company’s combined U.S. rig count since the week ending March 6. At that time, the domestic count stood at 793....