The US oil and gas rig count leaped 30 in the week ending March 3 to 491, rig data provider Enverus said, reaching the highest total since late-April 2020, as WTI oil prices climbed near the mid-$60s/b amid buoyant outlooks at major energy conferences. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now Oil-directed rigs accounted for the vast majority of the week’s gain, rising 27 to 366, while rigs chasing natural gas grew three to 125. The Permian Basin, sited in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, was the clear focus area for growth, with a weekly increase of 12 for a total 222. Rig totals in the Permian are now at the most since late-April 2020. “While on paper […]