Number of U.S. rigs targeting crude advanced by 9 to 325 Oil explorers put drilling rigs back to work in U.S. fields for only the second time this year as supply and demand come closer into balance. Rigs targeting crude in the U.S. rose by 9 to 325 this week, Baker Hughes Inc. said Friday. Explorers have idled more than 1,000 oil rigs since the start of last year. Natural gas rigs were trimmed by 5 to 82 this week, bringing the total for oil and gas up by 4 to 408. Oil prices extended declines immediately after the release of the Baker Hughes report. Futures in New York have climbed about 85 percent from the lowest level since 2003 earlier this year on signs the global glut is easing. “The uptick for rigs might have prompted some people to think that there’s a supply side reaction to $50 […]