Baker Hughes data reveal a third straight weekly decline in the active U.S. oil-drilling rig count

Baker Hughes bkr on Friday reported that the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil fell by 5 to 497 this week. That followed two consecutive weeks of declines. The total active U.S. rig count, which includes those drilling for natural gas, also fell by 4 to stand at 619, according to Baker Hughes. Oil prices traded higher in Friday dealings, with November West Texas Intermediate crude
CLX23,
+0.51%
up 45 cents, or 0.6%, at $82.76 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.