Istanbul, April 1 () - The number of oil rigs in the United States fell by 8 to 816 in the week ending March 29 compared to the previous week, according to the Baker Hughes weekly rig count. Meanwhile, the number of US gas rigs was down by 2 to 190 during the same week, bringing the total number of rigs in the country to 1,006, compared to 1016 in the previous week. On an annual basis, the number of US oil rigs rose by 19. In Canada, the total rig count declined by 17 to 88, with the number of oil rigs falling by 14 to 35 and gas rigs decreasing by 3 to 53. Year-on-year, the number of oil rigs in Canada was down by 36. The Baker Hughes Rig Counts are an important business barometer for the drilling industry and its suppliers. When drilling rigs are active they consume products and services produced by the oil service industry. The active rig count acts as a leading indicator of demand for products used in drilling, completing, producing and processing hydrocarbons.