Baker Hughes data show a fourth straight weekly decline in active U.S. oil-drilling rigs

Baker Hughes
BKR,
+4.78%
on Friday reported that the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil fell by 5 to 540 this week. However, the total active U.S. rig count, which includes those drilling for natural gas, climbed by 6 to stand at 680, according to Baker Hughes. The number of active natural-gas drilling rigs stood at 135, up 11 for the week. Oil prices continued to trade higher in Friday dealings, with August West Texas Intermediate crude
CLQ23,
+2.60%
up $1.57, or 2.2%, at $73.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.