The U.S. natural gas rig count added one unit to finish at 92 for the week ending Friday (Feb. 26), helping to extend an uptrend in domestic drilling led by gains in the oil patch, the latest figures from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR) show.

Baker Hughes rig count US feb. 26

Along with the one gas-directed unit, four oil-directed rigs were added for the week, bringing the combined domestic total to 402, 388 units shy of the 790 rigs active in the year-ago period, according to the BKR numbers. The BKR data is based partly on information provided by Enverus.

Five land units were added, while one rig departed from inland waters. The Gulf of Mexico added one rig to grow its total to 17, versus 22 a year ago. Two directional units and two horizontal units were added in the United States, along with one vertical unit.

The...