Baker Hughes Data Show U.S. Oil-rig Count Up a Ninth Straight Week

Data from Baker Hughes Friday revealed that the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil rose by 14 to 631 rigs this week. The oil rig count has now climbed for nine straight weeks. The total active U.S. rig count, which includes oil and natural-gas rigs, also jumped higher by 21 to 789, according to Baker Hughes. April West Texas Intermediate crude was down 3 cents, or less than 0.1%, at $48.72 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, little changed from their levels before the data.