The U.S. natural gas rig count added three units to reach 157 for the week ended Friday (June 24), while a surge in oil-directed drilling lifted the combined domestic count 13 units higher to 753, the latest numbers from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR) show.

rigs

Along with the three natural gas-directed rigs, domestic drilling gains for the week also included 10 oil-directed rigs. The 753 active U.S. rigs as of Friday compares with 470 in the year-earlier period, according to the BKR numbers, which are based partly on data from Enverus.

All of the net increase in the United States resulted from land drilling, with the Gulf of Mexico count unchanged at 15. Eleven horizontal units were added week/week, alongside two directional rigs.

The Canadian rig count, meanwhile, eased two units lower...