Biden’s war on oil and gas is succeeding.

The number of United States oil and natural gas rigs dropped by 157, or about one-fifth, in 2023, according to new data released Friday by energy services firm Baker Hughes, reversing course after two years of growth.

The U.S. added two oil rigs and no natural gas rigs in the week ending Friday, bringing the count to 622, according to Baker Hughes, whose report has long served as an indicator of future output.

The U.S. added 193 oil and gas rigs in 2022, and 235 oil and gas rigs in 2021, per the firm.

The decline in drilling rigs comes amid sustained criticism from the industry and Republicans that the Biden administration has discouraged domestic fossil fuel production.

Despite oil production being up, as the Washington Examiner points out, doing so prevents fossil fuel companies from investing in additional production and Biden has pushed them and even convinced foreign countries that produce oil and gas (like Venezuela) to produce more obviously in order to cover for His Fraudulency’s failed so-called clean energy polices.

Biden has banned drilling on more than 13M acres since taking office – if he is not defeated in 2024, Baker Hughes estimates that US oil & gas rig counts will be down by another 50%. Biden has also been feckless in handling affairs in the Middle East resulting from shipping companies having to change routes around Africa in order to avoid terrorist attacks in the Persian Gulf.

The end result is even higher oil and gas prices for consumers and that will ripple into the economy causing prices of products and services to go even higher.