Baker Hughes reported that the number of active drilling rigs in the United States held steady at 539 in the week ended Aug. 15. The oil rig tally edged up by one to 412, while gas-directed rigs fell by one to 122, indicating little change in overall exploration activity despite volatile energy prices. Separate industry data show that comparative natural-gas inventories rose by 20 billion cubic feet to 228 bcf for the week ended Aug. 8, the highest level in 12 months. The Henry Hub spot price slipped four cents to $2.99 per million British thermal units, suggesting ample supply is weighing on benchmark prices even as drilling activity remains flat.