HOUSTON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The number of active drilling rigs in the United States increased five to 402 rigs this week, down by 388 year on year, according to the weekly data released Friday by Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes.

These active drilling rigs included 309 oil rigs operating in the U.S. oil fields, up by four from the previous week; 92 gas drilling rigs, up by one from the previous week; and one miscellaneous rigs, unchanged from last week.

The 402 rigs included 385 land drilling rigs, up by five from the previous week; 17 offshore drilling rigs, up by one from last week. There was no inland water drilling rig, down by one from last week.

Of them, 18 are directional drilling rigs, 359 are horizontal drilling rigs and 25 are vertical drilling rigs.

During the week, the state of Texas added the most by three rigs, reaching 197 rigs in total.

By far, the Permian Basin in western Texas and eastern New Mexico has been the largest source of shale oil production growth in the United States, having become an engine of supply growth outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in the past years.

The United States has been a world important oil producer in the past years with the help of its shale oil production growth. Meanwhile, China continues to be one of the biggest oil consumers of the world. Enditem

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