The oil rig count in the U.S. showed a decline this week, according to data released by oilfield services company Baker Hughes on Friday.
The number of oil rigs in the country decreased by four for the week ending Dec. 14, bringing the total count to 873 from 877 the week before, the data revealed.
Following the decrease in the oil rig count, crude oil prices showed limited gains in the global market on Friday, with international benchmark Brent crude closing at $60.45 per barrel while American benchmark West Texas Intermediate finished the day at $51.18 a barrel.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed Thursday that crude oil production in the country decreased by 108,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 11.6 million bpd for the week ending Dec. 7.
This marked the 10th time crude oil production in the U.S. showed a decline in the past 48 weeks.
The U.S.' crude oil production is expected to average 12.1 million bpd in 2019, according to the EIA's Short Term Energy Outlook report for December.
By Firdevs Yuksel
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr