The number of active oil and gas rigs in the U.S. rose for the first time in four weeks during the reporting week. That’s why U.S. oil and gas production rose. The oil services company Baker Hughes said Thursday. 

The report was released a day earlier than usual due to the Christmas holiday. According to Baker Hughes, the number of active oil and gas rigs, a leading indicator of production, rose by three units to 779 in the week of Dec. 16-22. This was done to affect crude oil prices. 

The number of active oil rigs rose two units to 622 during the week. The number of gas rigs in operation rose by one to 155.

The U.S. is trying to lower world prices for crude oil. So, earlier Chevron Corp. received a license to resume oil production in Venezuela after U.S. sanctions halted all work three years ago. The reason was the resumption on Saturday in Mexico City of talks between the Venezuelan government and opposition on working together on a humanitarian spending plan.

The U.S. has eased sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector and allowed the U.S. company Chevron to resume oil production in the country after Venezuela resumed negotiations on a humanitarian plan.

Earlier we reported that oil keeps going up.