The U.S. natural gas rig count eased one unit lower to make it an even 100 for the week ended Friday (Sept. 17), while higher drilling totals in the oil patch saw the overall domestic tally climb sharply for the period, the latest figures from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR) show.

A 10-rig increase in oil-directed drilling offset the one-rig decline in natural gas rigs in the United States for the period. The combined U.S. rig count closed out the week nine units higher at 512, up from 255 rigs running in the year-ago period, according to the BKR numbers, which are based partly on data from Enverus.

Land drilling increased by eight units overall for the week, while one rig was added in inland waters. In the wake of Hurricane Ida, the Gulf of Mexico rig count continued to languish at only...