Baker Hughes [s: bkr] on Friday reported that the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil fell by five to 620 this week. That followed a decline of two in the previous week. The total active U.S. rig count, which includes those drilling for natural gas, declined by four to 776, according to Baker Hughes. Oil prices continued to trade lower, with January West Texas Intermediate crude CLF23 down $1.72, or 2.3%, at $74.39 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
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