据能源世界网12月19日报道，美国能源公司本周连续第四周增加石油和天然气钻机，因为石油生产商不断重返井场，自11月底以来，原油每桶价格一直高于45美元。
周五能源服务公司贝克休斯（Baker Hughes）在其备受关注的报告中称，截至12月18日当周，作为未来产量早期指标的油气钻机数量增加8台，至346台，为5月以来最高。
仍比去年同期少467台，或减少57％。
根据贝克休斯追溯到1940年的数据显示，自8月份以来，作业钻机数量激增，当时钻机数量创下244台的历史新低。
根据贝克休斯的数据显示，本周美国石油钻机增加5台至263台，为5月以来的最高水平，天然气钻机增加2台至81台，为5月以来的最高水平。
美国超过一半的钻机位于西德克萨斯州和新墨西哥州东部的二叠纪盆地，本周该地区钻机总数增加了6台，至174台，为5月以来最多。自2017年6月以来，该盆地的钻机数量首次连续第九周上升。
本周美国原油交易价格约为每桶49美元，为2月以来最高水平。
尽管石油合约自年初以来下跌了约20%，但在过去八个月里仍上涨了约160%，由于随着更多政府放松因疫情的封锁，人们希望全球经济和能源需求将恢复。
美国投资银行Piper Sandler的能源专家Simmons Energy预测，美国钻机数量将从2019年的年平均943台下降到今年的431台和2021年的369台，然后在2022年上升到567台。
Simmons此前预测2021年钻机数量为326台，2022年为583台。
郝芬 译自 能源世界网
原文如下：
U.S. drillers add oil and gas rigs for 4th week in a row -Baker Hughes
U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for a fourth week in a row as producers keep returning to the wellpad with crude prices trading above $45 a barrel since late November.
The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by eight to 346 in the week to Dec. 18, the highest since May, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report That was still 467 rigs, or 57%, below this time last year.
The number of operating rigs has surged since August, when it hit a record low of 244, according to Baker Hughes data going back to 1940.
U.S. oil rigs rose by five to 263 this week, their highest since May, while gas rigs rose by two to 81, their highest since May, according to Baker Hughes data.
More than half the U.S. oil rigs are in the Permian basin in West Texas and eastern New Mexico where total units rose six to 174 this week, the most since May. That put the rig count in the basin up for a ninth week in a row for the first time since June 2017.
U.S. crude traded at around $49 a barrel this week, its highest levels since February.
Even though the oil contract was down about 20% since the start of the year, it was still up about 160% over the past eight months Simmons Energy, energy specialists at U.S. investment bank Piper Sandler, forecast the U.S. rig count would fall from an annual average of 943 in 2019 to 431 in 2020 and 369 in 2021, before rising to 567 in 2022.
That compares with Simmons previous forecast for an average of 326 rigs in 2021 and 583 in 2022.