After a week of gains, Permian Basin, Texas and U.S. returned to declining counts of drilling rigs last week, according to the weekly report of Aug. 16 from Baker Hughes.  There were 303 rigs in Permian Basin (down 1 from 304 previous week, down 24 from 327 year ago), 273 in Texas (down 3 from […]

Houston-based Trace Midstream Partners II said recently it reached agreement with LM Energy Delaware to acquire its natural gas gathering and transportation assets in northern Delaware Basin.  The system in Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico consists of high- and low-pressure gas pipelines with associated compression, dehydration, condensate handling and vapor recovery capabilities. LM […]

Midland wildcatter and military veteran Autry Carl Stephens, founder of Endeavor Energy Resources and recipient of the Top Hand Award from Permian Basin Petroleum Association, died at the age of 86.  Endeavor said its board chairman died Aug. 16 and will be succeeded as chairman by his daughter, Lyndal Stephens Greth, an attorney who served […]

Fort Worth-based Brazos Midstream Holdings III said last week it completed construction of a cryogenic gas processing plant in Martin County.  Sundance I is scheduled to start commercial service in October with capacity of 200 million cfd.  Brazos said Aug. 15 it also is in final stages of constructing about 175 miles of high-pressure gas-gathering […]

Saudi Arabia, U.S. and Russia continue to rank 1-2-3 in total global recoverable oil reserves, according to Oslo-based Rystad Energy’s latest research.  Rystad this week raised its estimate of total global recoverable oil to 1,624 billion barrels – an increase of 52 billion barrels compared to its estimate last year.  Oil & Gas Journal called […]

Texas Pipeline Association recently commissioned a study on the economic impact of the state’s oil and gas pipeline industry by Center for Energy Commerce at Texas Tech University.  The study released earlier this month shows that the industry provided more than $60.5 billion in economic output in 2022 and nearly $3.6 billion in state and […]

The Woodlands-based Earthstone Energy told Enverus that its assets acquired recently from Delaware Basin operator Novo Oil & Gas will immediately compete for capital in Earthstone’s portfolio.  Earthstone and Northern Oil & Gas said June 15 they are acquiring Novo for $1.5 billion.  After closing in 2023Q3, Earthstone said it will move one of its […]

Houston-based private gas gatherer Pinon Midstream said last week it is expanding Dark Horse, its sour gas treating and carbon capture facility in Lea County, N.M.  Construction on a fully subscribed amine treating unit (Train III) is scheduled to begin in 2023Q3 with an in-service date of January 2024.  Pinon said it also has started […]

Moriarty, N.M.-based Sceye said it is testing a helium airship to detect and measure oilfield emissions in a partnership with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New Mexico’s departments of environment and economic development.  The airship hovers 65,000 feet above earth equipped with spectral imagers and laser sensors that Sceye said can scan emissions within a […]

Houston-based ConocoPhillips reported last week increased production in 2022Q1 as it continues to integrate and optimize recently acquired Permian Basin assets.  The record production of 1,747,000 boed (220,000 above 2021Q1) in Q1 included 967,000 boed in lower 48 and 640,000 boed in Permian Basin.  Q2 production is expected to be 1.67 to 1.73 million boed, […]