Free Republic

The amount of U.S. rigs drilling for oil increased for the first time this year after 29 consecutive weeks of declines. The number of actively drilling oil rigs jumped by 12 this week after several weeks of small decreases, which had indicated the streak of rigs being taken offline was nearing its end. The overall rig count, however, only grew by three rigs, because nine rigs drilling mostly for gas were taken out of service, according to data from oil services provider Baker Hughes. That is a switch from last week when three oil rigs were lost, but the gas-focused...

The U.S. energy industry dramatically increased the pace at which it’s slowing activity, laying down 42 oil rigs this week after several weeks of more conservative numbers. There are 760 oil rigs operating in the U.S. currently, down from 802 last week, according to data published Friday by oil field services company Baker Hughes. The decline was the largest one-week drop in the count in a month. Last week, the oil rig count fell by just 11, and the week before it was down by 12. Those were the smallest week-over-week declines in 2015 and may have suggested the oil...