Baker Hughes data show a weekly increase in active U.S. oil-drilling rigs

Baker Hughes
BKR,
+2.30%
on Friday reported that the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil rose by 10 to 609 this week. That followed declines in each of the three previous weeks. Last week, data showed the number of oil rigs fell by 10. The total active U.S. rig count, which includes those drilling for natural gas, also climbed by 2 to 761, according to Baker Hughes. Oil prices continued to trade higher, with the March West Texas Intermediate crude contract
CLH23,
+2.18%
up $1.30, or 1.7%, at $79.36 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.