The number of oil rigs in the country decreased by four for the week ending Jan.11, bringing the total count to 873 from 887 the week before, the data revealed.
Despite the decrease in the oil rig count, crude oil prices showed losses around 1.9 percent in the global market on Friday, with international benchmark Brent crude closing at $60.48 per barrel while American benchmark West Texas Intermediate finished the day at $51.59 a barrel.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed Wednesday that the U.S.' crude oil production increased slightly by 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) to stay around 11.7 million bpd for the week ending Jan.4.
Crude oil production in the country has seen record high levels reaching 11.7 million bpd since the week ending Nov. 9.
This marked the 41st time crude oil production in the U.S. showed an increase in the country during the past 52 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 Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr