Meanwhile, the number of US gas rigs rose by 1 to 85 during the same week to bring the total number of rigs in the country to 373 with 1 miscellaneous rig. Compared to the same period a year earlier, the number of oil rigs is down by 386.
In Canada, the number of rigs increased by 44 to 161. The number of oil rigs in Canada rose by 37 to 90 and is down by 62 compared to the same time a year ago.
Crude oil stockpiles in the United States dropped by 3.2 million to 482.2 million barrels in the week ending January 8, the US Energy Information Administration's weekly report showed on Wednesday.
Crude imports averaged 6.2 million barrels per day last week, up by 0.9 million barrels per day on a weekly basis. Gasoline production declined in the same seven-day period, averaging 7.5 million barrels per day, while distillate fuel output went down as well to an average of 4.7 million barrels per day.
Meanwhile, the country's crude oil refinery inputs stood at 14.7 million barrels per day during the week ending January 8, growing by 274,000 barrels per day from the week prior. Refineries operated at 82.0 percent of their capacity in the same span.