US oil rig count up by 1 for week ending Dec. 20

The oil rig count in the US increased by 1 this week, oilfield services company Baker Hughes data showed Friday.

The number of oil rigs, an indicator of short-term production in the country, rose to 483 for the week ending Dec. 20.

The number of US oil rigs fell by 15 compared to one year ago.

The price of international benchmark Brent crude stood at $72.94 per barrel at Friday’s trading close, while American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $69.46 a barrel.