Led by the Permian Basin, an uptick in drilling activity during the week ended Friday (Dec. 18) saw the U.S. rig count rise eight units to 346, according to the latest figures published by oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Co. (BKR).

Baker Hughes shale Dec 18

Changes in the United States for the week included the addition of five oil-directed rigs and two natural gas-directed, along with one miscellaneous unit, according to the BKR numbers, which are based on data provided in part by Enverus Drillinginfo. 

While the recent trend in domestic drilling activity has been decidedly upward, the combined U.S. count as of Friday still lagged its year-ago total of 813 by more than 450 rigs.

Land drilling increased by five week/week, while the Gulf of Mexico added three rigs to grow its count to 16, down...