Number of active U.S. drilling rigs unchanged this week
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Topics: U.S.
These active drilling rigs included 180 oil rigs operating in the U.S. oil fields, down by three from the previous week; 72 gas drilling rigs, up by three from last week, and two miscellaneous rigs, unchanged from last week.
The 254 rigs included 240 land drilling rigs, 13 offshore drilling rigs and one inland water drilling rig, all unchanged from last week. Of them, 20 are directional drilling rigs, 221 are horizontal drilling rigs and 13 are vertical drilling rigs.
During the week, the number of drilling rigs increased the most by two in the state of Louisiana to 34 rigs.
By far, the Permian Basin in western Texas and eastern New Mexico has been the largest source of shale oil production growth in the United States, having become an engine of supply growth outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in the past years.
The United States became a world important oil producer in the past years with the help of its shale oil production growth. Meanwhile, China continues to be one of the biggest oil consumers of the world.
According to the latest release from the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, China's crude oil output edged up 0.6 percent year on year to 16.46 million tonnes in July, slightly retreating from an increase of 0.7 percent registered in June. China imported 51.29 million tonnes of crude oil in July, surging 25 percent year on year. ■