Continued growth in oil-directed drilling, including gains in the Permian and Williston basins, helped lift the U.S. rig count seven units higher to 439 for the week ended Friday (April 16), according to the latest figures published by Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).

shale rig count April 16

An increase of seven oil-directed rigs and one natural gas-directed rig offset the departure of one miscellaneous unit in the United States for the week. The combined 439 rigs active as of Friday compares with 529 rigs in the year-ago period, according to the BKR numbers, which are based partly on data from Enverus.

Land drilling increased by five units in the United States during the week, along with one rig in the Gulf of Mexico and one in inland waters. Horizontal rigs increased by four, with two directional rigs and one...