US Oil Drilling Picks Up As Brent Gains 4%

US oil and gas drilling activity edged higher over the past week, coinciding with a sharp rally in crude prices, according to figures released by Baker Hughes on Friday.

The oilfield services firm reported that the total number of active drilling rigs across the United States climbed to 588, an increase of 44 compared with the same week a year earlier. Oil-directed rigs accounted for much of the movement, rising by seven to 452, some 30 more than a year ago. Gas rigs were unchanged at 126, while miscellaneous rigs held steady at 10.

Regional data showed the Permian Basin gaining three rigs to reach 259, though this remained four below year-ago levels. Activity in the Eagle Ford was flat at 47, six higher than a year earlier.

Production figures from the US Energy Information Administration indicated that domestic crude output for the week ending 10 July averaged 13.861 million barrels per day, marginally above the previous week and roughly 486,000 barrels per day higher than a year ago. In contrast, Primary Vision's Frac Spread Count, which tracks well-completion crews, slipped by five to 200 following a gain the week before, pointing to some softening in completion activity.

The drilling uptick came against a strong price backdrop. Brent crude advanced around 4 per cent to trade near $87.65 per barrel, up about $12 from the previous week, while West Texas Intermediate rose a similar margin to around $82.23.

For Malaysian and Southeast Asian maritime and oil and gas readers, the combination of firmer prices and steadier US activity offers a useful gauge of near-term market sentiment. Sustained higher crude values tend to support regional exploration and production budgets, potentially benefiting offshore service providers, vessel operators and fabrication yards that depend on operator spending. However, the mixed signals, with rig counts rising even as completion crews retreat, suggest producers remain cautious about committing to accelerated output. Regional players monitoring charter demand, subsea contracts and support-vessel utilisation should treat the data as a reminder that upstream momentum in key basins can shift quickly, shaping the pace of activity that ultimately filters through to Asian supply chains.